Rock and Roll

We ran the Rock and Roll marathon today.  Last year we ran the half marathon and for some reason, we thought this year we should double our distance.  The day was fantastic with not a cloud in the sky.   I am burned because at four in the morning I wasn't thinking about sunscreen.  We got to the location early and had no troubles with parking, finding pre-race toilets or really, anything else with the race.

Except for the hills; oh, and the one snake. I'll get to the snake in a minute.   The course is all road, which from prior experiences, I hate.   I had shoe issues from the marathon a month ago with my toes going numb and my feet hurting from running.    I got new shoes and these shoes were the right shoes.   My feet are fine.  There are no numb toes, nothing rubbed or blistered and basically I can't even tell I ran a marathon this morning as far as my feet feel now.   The rest of my body, on the other hand, is reminding me muscles can complain loudly.

I've learned hydration is a key factor in having a good race.   When you get to a hydration spot, take the first gatorade cup, get a second one a bit further down and then get a water cup after that.   Three cups of liquid (they're partially filled so you don't slosh them everywhere) helps so much.   I walk through all the water stations as well, because it's hard to drink while running, even a slow run like mine.

Races in general seem to like to advertise, "course changed this year to be less hilly."   We didn't run the full marathon last year, so I don't know what the course was like, but after the split from the half marathon runners, it got hilly and then hillier and by the time we got to mile twenty-two we were wondering when the hell we were going to go back downhill we'd climbed so much altitude.   Normally, hills don't bother us because we run in a hilly park, but we weren't expecting so many of them for such a long duration.

We got so tired we couldn't even tell stories back and forth (my running neighbor friend was with me.)  Uncle Jonathan finished an hour-and-a-half before we did and had three beers by the time we got in.

At about twenty-one miles we were channeled into this path around a lake.   It was a nice wooded view, even if the paved path was bumpy.    We were all looking at the pollen-filled trees when I saw a four-foot black snake slithering across the path up ahead.   He was half-way across and moving with purpose, but my neighbor would have been in the direct path of the snake.   I grabbed her arm and pulled her almost in front of me.   She said, "what?" and I waited until we were beyond the snake.   Then I told her what had happened.

Then...she ran.   She sprinted.   She screamed.   She was suddenly not tired any more with the adrenaline rush she got from the news.   Did I mention she's terrified of snakes?    We talked about black snakes and how they were good animals, but she only imagined fangs.    But we made it through.

We were beat at the end.  My neighbor runs slightly ahead of me a lot of the time and I started to catch up.   Then she ran faster.  Then I ran faster.  Then we both without saying anything started to sprint it out for the finish line.    It was crazy fun and exhausting.    

When we got home my son checked out the medal.   He put it on and told me I could wear the one from the last race.  

The Big Boy Update:  My son did some painting work with large sheets of paper today.   They were drying out on the pollen-covered deck for several hours.   When he went out to bring his artwork in he said, "do papers sneeze?"

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter put on some leggings that are much too small for her.   When asked if the were uncomfortable she said, "yes, they're hurting my penis."

Fitness Update:  Rock and Roll marathon today.  Great weather.  Fun run.   Perfect shoes for the course.