strange things from our run

Saturday started out like any other.  Mike and I got up, read the paper, drank our coffee & went for our run.  Just a little 9 miler a week from MCM.  We kinda thought the sun rose at 7:30...and it didn't until 8:03, so it was a little dark as we started down Middle Ridge.  About a half mile from home we see a Coors Light cardboard box thrown to the side of the road.  Next to the road were two Coors Light cans.  I look down, and kinda see that they are not open.  I figure I just saw that wrong, so I didn't say anything.
About this time a car comes from behind us and slows WAY down.  This always makes me nervous.  The pickup actually stops and the driver says, "I'm a detective."  (I think he's going to yell at us for being on the road when we really should have waited another 10 minutes)  But he continues, "Have you seen a truck pulling a skid-steer?"  We answer no and off he goes.  Crime busting at its finest.
We continue running with our eyes peeled for a truck pulling a skid-steer.
And we see another Coors Light cardboard box on the side of the road with more beer cans.  I look more closely and they are NOT OPENED.
A little further up, ANOTHER Coors Light box with unopened beer laying next to it.  In all there were 5 boxes and 7 unopened beers.
Mike's nice deed of the day was to pick up the litter on the side of the road.

MCM

Friday, October 28 we left for Washington DC.  Mike became our "special friend" and we're really glad he didn't get shot on the trip.  We were all pretty excited & nervous & really had no idea how we were going to navigate all we needed to do.  Luckily we had Trisha with us ~ because she is the most navigationally knowledgeable person (and the nicest).  Other than Dodd missing one REALLY OBVIOUS left hand turn...we made good time, got on a shuttle to the expo & got our bibs.  REALLY exciting.

We had some fun at the Expo ~ First we got our picture taken with a Marine.  Then, after waiting in a very long line to buy Brooks products, we wandered the booths, Mike bought a hat & we all got free stuff.  Mike and Dodd had fun pretending to be badasses in a military 4-wheeler.

 After checking into the hotel and meeting up with Dodd's parents we had an amazing steak dinner.  Then we found a DQ to have "good luck" ice cream.    We went back to the hotel & watched the Indians win game 4 of the World Series against the Cubs.  Exciting time to be a Clevelander ~ side story ~ was talking to a guy at the runner's village on race morning.  He asked where I was from.  I said, "Cleveland."  His reply, "Oh, the City of Champions."  You got that right!

The next day we had breakfast (biscuits and gravy) and took the metro into the city.  We were 6 novices & I'm pretty sure we'd still be there if Trisha hadn't been with us.  She figured it all out & got us to where we wanted to go.  

Had to take a Selfie at the White House.  The Secret Service had the road blocked & it looked like the President may have been getting ready to leave.  It never happened (in the 10 minutes we were there) so we started walking toward The Vietnam Wall.  Got stopped in our travels by another blocked road on the south side of the White House.  The Secret Service make no secret about the amount of weapons they carry.  It's not as unnerving as you would think ~ but seeing a dude in full gear, flack vest & all is a tad unsettling.  You certainly don't see that in Madison, OH.

Made it to the monuments.  And the plan to see stuff that we don't see on the 8th grade trip was out the window!  I did enjoy being leisurely and not herding 60 kids around.  Dodd does listen to the tour guides, as he was able to tell just about every fact he knew about what we saw.  I love this picture of Mike and I at WWII with my favorite Washington Monument in the background.    We took the Metro back to Alexandria and had BBQ for a very late lunch.  Then we relaxed, had a light dinner and fell asleep before the Indians game was over (woke up to find they had won putting the series at 3-1)  

Four o'clock in the morning came on Sunday & we were getting ready to race.  It was in the 60's on October 30...with high predicted to be 80.  And they were.  But it wasn't humid & Mike convinced me I shouldn't worry about it.  So I didn't (much).  The best part about the forecast, was race outfit was a no brainer ~ skirt and tank at the end of October!

Took our pre-race selfie in the hotel and off we went in the hotel shuttle.  We had to have the driver drop us in a different location (thankfully this was the one time the shuttle worked in our favor & he took us to the MCM official shuttle spot)  We boarded the bus & were dropped off at the Pentagon.  Easy trip through security (always easy when you are early arrivers like we are)  We waited in 'runner's village' (a big parking lot) where we sat on the big garbage bags I was smart enough to bring.  They also had the port-o-pots set up very well.  Groups of 5, back to back.  So the lines were for the group of 5...not random lines for a random number of port-o-pots.

It finally becomes time to walk the half mile on the highway to the start.  I went to the bathroom behind a building...and then saw the line of port-o-pots... (oops)  We hear the national anthem, we watch the two fly overs, we hear the shot for the start...and stand there.  We start to move, a little.  We walk a little further.  Still walking.  See a row of port-o-pots and decide to go again.  That was a great call!  Joined the crowd and finally started running 8 minutes after the start (I really didn't think that was bad, considering we went to the bathroom!)

And we run and weave and run and weave.  It's hard to stay together because there are SO MANY people.  But we do.  The first 6 miles are pretty hilly ~ beautiful running through a park & tree lined streets.  Lots of peeing in the woods (Mike was really impressed by the young lady who just moved her shorts over & peed like a boy)  We were running well.  Passed two older Marines running and singing their running chants.  That was very cool as everybody joined in.  

Lots of Team Beef members running by & Lots of shout-outs for Mike's Team Beef jersey.  

The blue mile was so moving.  Pictures of fallen Marines lined the road, followed by families of fallen Marines holding big American flags.  Cheering for us.  I just kept saying "Thank you" over and over.  They were thanking US.  Freedom is NOT free.

Mike started to not feel well ~ and at mile 17 he said, "I need to walk soon."  Dodd asked, "Next water stop?"  Mike answered, "Next Marine"  and stop he did about 20 feet later as the next Marine.  This was the start of the end for him.  At mile 24 he puked for 10 minutes...and I thought we weren't going to finish.  I was rather worried that he might not make it...but make it he did.  We turned up the hill at mile 26.1 (which was really 26.6 on my watch) and saw a guy go down...feet from the finish.  Dodd turn to Mike, full in his face, and screams, "You DO NOT go down now."  Mike responded with, "Then get out of my way."  And finish we did if you look at this video, you can see us at the 2:00 minute mark (Mike even gets a shout out)

We walked ran the last 9 miles, but it was worth it to finish together & make sure Mike made it.  It was the first marathon where I never hit the wall.  I finished strong & CAN NOT WAIT to run the next one.

The one on the left was taken in April, the day before the MCM lottery opened.  The one on the right was after 5:03:26 on October 30, 2016.  

Now we're preparing for game 6 of the World Series ~ against my Chicago Cubs.  But GO TRIBE!  What a great time to be a Cleveland sports fan!

October Running Log:

October Totals:

131.71 for the month 
1225.09 miles for the year 

242.32 miles in my Gortex Ghosts ~no Gortex runs this month

472.37 miles in my Old gray Brooks Glycerin 13 My Camp Stig Shoes 

329.87 miles in my old defective pink Brooks Glycerin 13 

168.53 miles in my NEW PINK Brooks Glycerin 13 ~ That continue to have the same defect as the old pair. Still running in them.

110.36 miles in my NEW teal/blue Brooks Glycerin 13 ~ These are my long run shoes ~ great to race in!

Training for:     Hall of Fame Marathon in April, 2017 ~ the only race on the books.  Need to sign up for the Turkey Day 5k!

Podcasts I'm listening to: Marathon Training Academy, Dear Sugar, Story Corp & Reply All

My WEIGHT: 142.8 ~ oops that was a good Marathon Training Gain.  I entered a lose/maintain challenge at work.  So...I'm going to get back into the 130's and get rid of the marathon thigh/tummy pudge.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month:   26.78 ~ Lots of weaving at the Marine Corps Marathon

What hurts?: NOTHING!!! (two run logs in a row)  Hamstrings and quads are tight & tired, but not HURT!!

Highest  weekly mileage this month:  46.26 October 2 to October 9

Favorite place to run this month: Lake Erie Bluffs.  Love the peacefulness there.

Monthly mileage record: 156.69 ~ March 2015 {purposely ran 8 (on a treadmill) on March 30 to beat the August 2013 record}
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  26.78, October 30, 2016, Marine Corps Marathon, Washington DC

PR's:
5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14)
10K:  49:40 (Greenway 10k 3/20/16)
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)

20-miler: 2:45:15 (20 mile Drop 4/10/16)
half-marathon: 1:44:42 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/4/15)
marathon: 3:57:31 (The Cleveland Marathon 5/17/15)