Running...The 50 States One Marathon at a Time: State #40 Jacksonville, Florida

26.2 with Donna The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer

February 11, 2018

The heat, humidity and hill repeats have done a number on my poor husband! That means I get to drive us back to Jacksonville, Florida. The whole time I am running visions of a big regular "coke" dance in my head. After my stomach issues are resolved that is...I can't even eat the "free pizza" provided as I wait for my husband to finish! The heat leaves him wiped out so I go get the car~parked a mile away~while he recovers. Once we finally make it to the Courtyard Marriott, it's time to enjoy some ocean views while soaking all our achy parts in the spa! Maybe, just maybe, we are getting too old for the double marathon business. I can honestly say, I am not excited about doing another 26.2 mile run tomorrow morning. The idea of finally hitting my 40th state is the motivation that keeps me going! After soaking for as long as possible, we climb out of the hot water before we turn into complete prunes. Time to try and find something good to eat. It doesn't take long for my iron stomach to recover. We read reviews and pick a place, but once we arrive at the destination, there is a ginormous herd of people waiting to get into the restaurant along with a long line to valet park. We are too tired to wait and find a place called "Burrito Gallery." While it is tasty enough, it still doesn't compare to the Tex Mex style of "Rubios" or the authentic taste of El Rosal! Maybe, I am just a simple creature of habit, but with ten more states to go, I am still looking for something amazingly delicious. Let me just say I am not getting my hopes up if it doesn't happen. Once we organize for the morning, we are so exhausted that there is no work involved in falling asleep...No need to listen to the radio or cover the microwave light.

Looking forward to getting here!

It is one of those magical nights...just close the eyelids and we are out to the world! On the way to our car in the morning, we find the Mile 19 marker in front of the hotel. In a few short hours we will be at this point with a mere seven miles to go. If only it were that easy. This marathon is a little easier than most because of how inspiring it is. The "power of pink" energizes the day and empowers us all. Everyone has a story and everyone is impacted by cancer is some way and when people come together to fight it, what a powerful force it can be...

The drive to the parking lot can get congested and to alleviate any stress~especially for my hubby who always frets about the parking~we get up extra early to arrive with plenty of time to spare. We get a nice spot close to athlete village and enjoy the extra time relaxing in the car. It is much better than being stuck in stop and go traffic worrying about whether we will make it to the start line on

1984 Olympic Gold Medalist

time. There is a booming voice making announcements between songs and encouraging words from Donna, Jeff Galloway and Joan Benoit Samuelson which we enjoy from the comfort of the car. Once it is time to make our way to the start we leave a bag at bag drop. The race finishes at the Mayo Clinic and runners are bused back to the start. I most definitely will need a jacket after the race even though it is expected to be an extremely warm day. We chat with runners in the potty line...many of whom are running their first marathon in honor of friends and family. There is so much positive energy flowing. My husband decides to try the Galloway walk-run method and I find my corral near the four hour pacer. I know that is a lofty goal, but I set my sights high to start. The first couple of miles are tough. It is always hard to get started on the second day and it doesn't help that it is so hot and humid. There is not even a hint of a breeze. One guy yells out after the first mile, "Only 25 miles to go!" Another guy yells, "Oh you are that guy that nobody likes!" The first guy says, "Ya that's me... the guy that nobody likes!" I end up near the guy that 'nobody likes' and his buddy for much of the first ten miles and they are pretty obnoxious, his self-awareness turns out to be spot on. Runners are given some relief with a cool breeze around mile three as we get close to the ocean and run through the enthusiastic beach communities.

The streets are lined with tons of people. It is fun running through neighborhoods of people out cheering. It is a never ending block party with music blasting, champagne drinking and even bubbles being blown our way. Even on tired legs, I can't help but smile and feel loved and encouraged by all of the support. I am making no progress in getting ahead of the four hour Galloway pacer group. They seem to be running for 30 seconds followed by a short walk. They get ahead of me and then I pass them when they walk and it continues like this for miles. I definitely do not want to run and stop so often...it seems too difficult to get going again! When the pacer leaves his group to run ahead for a potty break I never see the group again! A man who lives just outside of Washington D.C. strikes up a conversation with me and we run off and on together for about five miles. He takes walk breaks, but catches up to me each time he starts again.

Galloway is definitely working for him. He has run Boston nine times and is thinking about doing New York It is nice to share miles and stories with a fellow runner. Running with someone else is energizing until my stomach starts to act up again. The course is full of twists and turns, a nice way to break up the monotony. I prefer mixing it up rather than running one long straightaway. Just after mile 15 we make a sharp turn across some grass and a row of potties are readily available. All my hopes of a sub four hour marathon is dashed when the four hour group swooshes by while I am in the outhouse! (Thanks for waiting until my bathroom break to pass me up!)... It is a little less painful that way! I see the four hour pacer later at the finish line festivities, he also has his shoes off. After my bathroom stop the momentum is gone. The fatigue factor sets in and I decide to just enjoy the ride. The high level of support along the way is inspiring and uplifting even on

wobbly legs. It is easy to keep running when thinking of the many challenges people face while fighting cancer. I find myself gaining new strength with each mile even as my mile times decrease. I pass half marathoners running in groups with matching pink shirts and relay runners pass me up so easily. All are here in solidarity to fight cancer. *F**k* Cancer is written on the back of countless shirts!!! That pretty much says it all...Jacksonville and the surrounding beach towns do an impressive job of supporting and uplifting all participants. The event is not only fun, but it brings awareness while raising money and providing support.

Some homeowners are rather graphic with their depictions, but it is all in good fun!! When I finally make it back to Mile 19 (the hotel is right there and as tempting as it is, I just keep going) the remaining 7 miles seem possible until I reach the the last 3.5 miles which are all on a freeway that leads to the Mayo Clinic.

Runners climb a half mile curving freeway ramp before finishing the last three miles on the freeway. It is the most challenging section with the hot sun rising into the sky along with the rough slanted camber of the freeway doing a number on the feet! The remaining miles are rather symbolic of the struggle and fight required to beat cancer! As runners make the final steep climb, a man on stilts welcomes exhausted runners with a high-five. The challenge is followed with a nice downhill grade to the exit ramp before the final turn to the finish line. Thankfully, the last .2 seems shorter than usual! I happily cross the finish line in 4 hours and 14 minutes, but the last few miles leave me with some very tender toenails and a huge blister. The correlation between blisters and oozing toenails and double marathon weekends is becoming evident.

Another reason I may need to rethink doing them. For now, it is time to rest up for awhile before my husband rolls across the finish! I text him warning him about the last three and a half miles and he says he is taking it slow. My first priority is to get my shoes off and my flip flops on. After sitting on the curb, I finally recover enough to find something to eat without any cash the limited food choice is~chicken noodle soup~but there is unlimited beer. While drinking my beer near the awards I hear my name called. I place 1st in my age and get my picture with Joan Samuelson! What an unexpected surprise and thrill!! (But I can't find the picture anywhere in the proofs...and the official results the next day add a runner to 1st

place moving me to 2nd place...oh well.) Another beer is in order as I find a chair in the sun to rest my aching toes. It is fun to sit and watch all the runners relish their accomplishment as they shuffle along before I do my own shuffling back to the finish in time to see my husband victoriously cross the finish line! After the bus ride back to our car, we make it back to the hotel and breathe a sigh of relief. We did it! After

showering we have some dinner, at "Ragtime" and our waitress is the nicest person ever, before calling it a day. We are too tired to even go to the spa or walk along the beach. The next two days are for resting, relaxing and recovering...