State #45 Belleville, Illinois

September 29, 2018

Main Street Marathon

In my rear view mirror...there is a trail of triumph mixed with a whole lot of downtime. A full fledged spiral you might say~thought I was done with those! Although 2018 looked promising with some early success and jubilee, many of the months slipped through my fingers as I scrambled to hang on to my fitness progress and goals. My body can't keep up with the lofty schedule set in place this year. My immune system and body work in cahoots revolting against the demanding plan. While I finished the eleven marathons I registered for~so far this year~many of them are run in a less than stellar physical state. Essentially, after the first marathon in January, it is a constant battle to recover and get healthy. The struggle to reach each marathon finish line requires more rest than normal after each trip. A weakened immune system leaves me susceptible to viruses and various ailments and I end up spending

way too much time on the brown couch. Being down for the count limits adequate training and is the perfect breeding ground for the consumption of way too much comfort food. In fact, 2018 yields my lowest amount of training miles in years. The bright side (less running shoes to buy) surprisingly, they do not wear out when not in use. Every month is well under one hundred miles and many are around sixty miles per month including the marathon miles...

Now what? I am at a crossroads with three scheduled and paid marathons trips and two marathons to pace...it's time to pick a direction. Continue down the path of least resistance or make the commitment to try and pull myself up by my bootstraps and salvage the rest of the year. The prospect of falling into the vortex of self-destruction  

looms as I hang on by my finger tips. I have a choice...cave in, eat a donut gain maybe three minutes of joy and distraction or...go for my first run in two weeks and try to finish 2018 on a positive note. In spite of coughing up a lung "the old body" still in recovery mode from July's hilly Mad Marathon...I go for the run! While one run can not resolve all my dilemmas, it is a step in the right direction. Completed runs equate to building an arsenal that can be stored and used during more tumultuous times. Each mile run helps build back my physical strength and it slowly restores my fractured mental state in the process. When it comes down to it...Life is such a precariously precious gift that we too easily take for granted. It is in the struggle that we are forced to seek the joy in the smallest kernels and never take a morsel of happiness for granted.  

~The "good old days" when a bucket of sand and the sweetest baby is happiness~

After a crazy week long road trip that includes consulting work (for husband) ~let's face it the only consulting work I do is about where to eat lunch~ visiting family, a successful pacing gig, and some suntanning on the beach...it is time to get back into a solid running routine.

Humboldt Bay Marathon 

 The pace gig in Eureka is great fun and deposits another marathon  into my marathon bank (goal to hit 100 by 2019) even though I take another two weeks off to recover. Rest is definitely the theme for 2018.  On my first run back a podcast quote sums up my

Great signs in Belleville

year, "There is no such thing as an overuse injury...just under-rested injuries!" In that case bring on the rest. Nearing the end of August all my niggles are fairly healed with no ticks in sight, the only problem is a lack of motivation. My summer of minimal miles helps give me the necessary break to finish the year strong, but now I must muster the energy to begin again...fight the number on the scale by pounding the pavement, and more importantly control my propensity for ~overindulgence~ my most potent detriment. A lack of discipline and self-control is the only thing standing in the way of accomplishing my goals. 

Defeating self-sabotage and negative thinking is the ultimate prize when all is said and done. It's time to find some grit and get it done..."time waits for no man" as a week long training plan structures the beginning week of September. Running six miles each day with healthy eating is the jump start I need to get back into the swing of things to be ready for the start line at the end of September. With a small window of time to prepare that is less than perfect, it is time to bust out another marathon weekend.

Belleville via St Louis...here we come. Thankfully, the trip to Illinois is uneventful (that's a good thing) with an easy drive to the airport, no flight delays and perfect running conditions. It is nice to have a marathon trip go well in the final push to finish the states. Belleville represents small town middle America in spite of being just forty minutes outside of St. Louis, Missouri a thriving metropolis thanks to the cities location along the Mississippi River. During the westward expansion it was touted as the Gateway to the west until the railroad came through and bridges were built. The Arch was designed by a Finnish architect to draw attention back into the area and was completed in 1965. The Arch was dedicated in 1967 by Vice President Hubert Humphrey and is now a National Park that attracts tourists daily. On a clear day it is possible to see up to 30 miles.

A ride in one of eight (five person capsules) to the Gateway Arch National Park observation deck takes about four minutes. The state house where the Dread Scott Case was held and Busch Stadium where the Cardinals play can be seen from the 630 feet high and 630 feet wide structure. 

With some time to spare we can't pass up a free tour of the Anheuser Busch Brewery unless we miss the free tour by three minutes and must take the ten dollar tour instead which includes samples during the tour, a glass at the end and a freshly brewed bottle of beer (called newborns) to take home. Did you know it takes thirty days to brew the perfect Budweiser as Beechwood chips line the bottom of the tanks for the yeast to feed upon while the beer ferments? Fun fact: a Bud Light only has thirty few calories with a lower alcohol content. 

Might as well go for the full Bud next time. The Clydesdale Horses~the symbol and mascot of the company since its inception in the mid 1800's~are on the tour as well.  What amazing creatures, but then again I have never met a horse I didn't like.

We take our beer and head to packet pickup held at a local running store in O'Fallon about six miles from Belleville. We are warmly greeted with genuine kindness which sets the tone for everyone we  encounter involved with the marathon. I spot a "Freddy's" in the shopping center and can't pass up the opportunity to improperly fuel my body with a "concrete" a very high calorie custard mixed with lots of goodies like pecans, hot fudge and caramel.  Doesn't everyone fill up with custard and beer before a 26.2 mile run! 

Amazing signs on the course! 

Let's not mention the pizza we ingest, a perfect concoction for great digestion. What happened to all my kale and green leafy salads and protein shakes leading up to race day, but at least we buy bananas for race morning to counterbalance the diet derailment. Race morning is a breeze. The best thing about small races is the ease in getting to the start line fifteen minutes before the race begins with a free parking garage steps away. A short line for the potty still has us ready for the Star Spangled Banner. The weather could not be more perfect~cool not cold~with some cloud cover.

The race begins with little fanfare and we are off. The early miles down the longest Main Street is lined with music and happy positive volunteers and spectators. There isn't a person I pass that isn't offering cheer and goodwill to all the runners. 

The sidewalks are filled with sign after sign after sign with funny and inspirational sayings. There are fancy signs and handmade posters to read and green little arrows on the road to follow ensuring we do not lose our way. The enthusiasm is contagious and uplifting.  It is nice to see so many people out. There are definitely double the number of volunteers than all 192 runners on the course.

The water and Gatorade is available every few miles along with porta potties that luckily I do not need to use. The course is broken down into two out and back sections which I enjoy. It gives runners a chance to get pumped up by the same encouraging volunteers for a second time when we are not quite as fresh as the first few miles, and we can read the posters and signs for a second time.

My favorite, "One day you will not be able to do this...today is not that day!" It really hits home since I came prepared to skip the race, but somehow wake up with the will to run. I leapfrog with the same group of runners during the first half, but the second half reveals who is well trained and who isn't.  The strong maintain pace while the unprepared slow. I manage to stay strong for 18 miles. I am desperate for GU or chews to replenish my depleted energy. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much you try to push...the body just will not go any faster.

A game of leapfrog for miles and miles...

Finally, cherry chews appear just before mile 19, but it is too late for me as the body is slowly transitioning into a marathon shuffle or slog. Two ladies~who definitely look like they are in my age group~pass me up! Darn, I feel my chance for the RRCA grand master's medal go by the wayside. Neither are in my age group it turns out but the lady that sails by me in the last few miles is...and she definitely earned the medal (beating me by ten minutes) and I happily settle for second. I know I do not have the conditioning for a sub four at the moment, yet it serves as my motivation to get back to a healthier stronger me. My personal running theory holds up once again. When I can do a five mile training run at or under 45 minutes I can hit four hours or less. My last five miler was 48 minutes and change and my finishing time reflects an accurate hypothesis with a finishing time slightly over four hours.

It is funny how one minute I don't think I can even do the run and the next minute I want to win. It is quite amazing how our mind and body works. I can't say enough good things about the 3rd annual marathon and all the people that make it a quality event.

The supportive people make it special, young and old were there to encourage and cheer. In the final miles~or maybe it was the pain and anguish on my face~the support is intensified. Some of the volunteers even run alongside some of the runners for small stretches.  The final half mile ends on an incline making it an even harder push, but makes crossing the finish line extra sweet.  We are bestowed with a medal and nice lunch by a very kind and caring community of people. I sit and recover for awhile before enjoying the BBQ and beer, but the best part is talking to other runners and volunteers. I earn a nice hat for 2nd and will be honored to wear it and represent a special small town in Illinois. 

State #45 is pretty sweet!

The close proximity to the airport makes it possible for us to catch a late afternoon flight home and crawl into our own bed by 11 pm, thanks to light Los Angeles traffic.