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Well he invited me on FB which was nice because Elizabeth saw it. I really wanted to do this but wasn't sure how to bring it up. She did and the family talked about it. The nice thing about doubles is you save money on travel and the way Ryan suggested it, I wouldn't even need a car. Fly to Michigan, drive over with him and his crew (The Epic Crew), run the race and then drive back with them. Nice, right? You only have 2 airline tickets instead of 4 if you seperate it to different races and save money. Also, for the first time, I would be with peeps so that would be nice. The drawback is I fly out on Elizabeth's birthday. At least her parents will be here to celebrate or so we thought. We just heard 2 weeks ago that they will NOT be here for her birthday and I feel like crap about it.
Ryan also invited me into the EPIC FB page and that was pretty cool. Lots of MM's there.
Unfortunatly/fortunatly things were tough in the last 4-5 months. Work was crazy and my morale was at a low due to my injury. I'm still injured but it's getting better now and I made some decisions about some things and my spirits are better. Also, the work project is settling down so I can now breathe a little. Money is tight, very tight but I can breathe a little. So how is this related? Well, I had to make travel plans and kept delaying makeing them. Seems like I was waiting for something bad to happen to sabotage this. Well, I finally got to it and Ryan is injured again. Real bad. His current plan is to do a competitive Bike race on Saturday and limp along on Sunday in Kalamazoo. I'll bet he still beats me tho. I think he maybe feeling what I felt like and perhaps is in bad spirits. I feel kinda abandoned by him but then again I think it's understandable. No disrepect meant. I hope I didn't offend him or anything - I do have a big mouth.
Finally made plans tho. I'm flying into Wisconsin on Friday, Racing Saturday, Driving over on Saturday, Racing Sunday and flying out Sunday. All is ironed out except for car rental. Thank God I did this (FINALLY!). One of the flights (I think heading back) had only 1 seat left. Whew. Sucky thing tho is, I gotta change planes for this trip, both ways.
On another note, without admitting to anything, Adele bought Elizabeth a birthday present. She enrolled her in the Long Island Half-Marathon. Elizabeth I think would have wanted to do this but didn't want to waste the $$. Problem solved ;)
Well, suddenly they both needed a longer run. They have been training together consistently on the weekends but their longest was 6.5 miles. To make things worse, Adele had a very important swim meet on Sunday so they couldn't run Saturday.So....What to do? Did what I had to. I took Elizabeth on the 10 mile water loop on Saturday, ran 11 with my crew on Sunday morning and then ran the 10 mile water loop with Adele on Sunday afternoon. Let me tell you that 31 miles straight is way easier than these 3 segments especially as they aren't my pace. Still, it was good for me to run while being tired and my legs were dead when I went with Adele and also it was the right thing to do for a friend. They both needed this. Both for mental reasons and for physical reasons. Both were also sore after this. They weren't used to the distance and the hills. Hoping that the flat Half-Marathon along with the training miles won't kill them later.
I had 2 flying choices toward Wisconsin. It was either take an early flight Friday, with a layover at Chicago and then switch planes with a total travelling time of around 7 hours or at an approx same price, leave at 12:25, much shorter layover at Chicago and a total travelling time of about 4 hours I think. Easy choice right?
Wednesday before the race, I did my last workout. I swam. Talked to DD about the race and he offered to take me to LGA on Friday. Cool...I didn't ask. He just offered.
Friday rolled on and I woke up Elizabeth and she went to walk the dog. I got the kids up a little earlier and we gave a card to Elizabeth for her Birthday. Sent them out to school while I stayed home and did last minute packing. DD was right on time at 9:45 to pick me up. I wanted to get to LGA at around 10. I like getting there early and not having to worry about security. We had a little bit of a hard time finding American Airlines but he dropped me off and I found the place. Went through security without a problem and found my gate. I was wondering when they would load the plane until they made the announcement..."Due to Chicago having weather, the flight is now scheduled to leave at 1pm." Now, I thought every state has weather and all the time but apparently Chicago doesn't usually so it's a big thing. Still, 30 minute is no biggie right? I mean the pilot could make up the time easy...And then it was delayed to 1:30 and then to 3pm. I started worrying as I was supposed to land 5 minutes after my connection flight was supposed to leave. The people at the desk weren't very helpful and all the weather we heard aboutin Chicago was light rain and partly cloudy.
At one point, I was sitting next to a guy who writes for some online newspaper and we got to talk. He actually asked me to watch his stuff (laptop/phone/etc) while he ran to the restroom. He was going to see/report about the Kentucky Derby. Wow...Lot of trust I inspire in people. He came back and even bought me a HUGE water bottle. Nice...
Meanwhile, I started sending urgent messages out. Ryan contacted Scott and gave my his info. Scott is part of the EPIC crew and was driving down from Michigan to Wisconsin at the moment. He agreed to pick up my stuff and as time progressed (I'm jumping the gun here...) even eventually dropped my stuff of at my hotel.
Anyway, true to their word, we boarded at 2:30 and left the gate promptly at 3pm. Nice...
We started taxiing and I fell asleep. I was beat from the worrying. Woke up and so far no turbulence at all...Maybe that was because we were still on the ground. Finally took off at 4:30. The only reason we left the gate was because they needed the gate. Wonderful...
Flight was uneventful really. Eventually we were over one of the great lakes (I think) and we were very low and the clouds were actually below us and we could see the water below it. Later, I found out what they meant by "Chicago has weather". Apparently the clouds were very very low affecting visibility and because of that quite a few of the available runways are not available. Apparently everyone local knows this and knows NEVER NEVER NEVER to fly into Chicago. Wonderful!
Finally landed in Chicago and I had a VM from American Airlines telling me they rebooked me on a different flight to Milwaukee. OK...Sometime to kill in the airport. LGA and Chicago didn't have free WIFI (annoying) and electric outlets were hard to come by as well so I started walking. Sat in the JetBlue section because they had electricty available and started talking to a fellow traveler who (of course...) was a NYer. He, like me, got there early for his 5:30 flight. He was there at 2pm. Then JetBlue dropped the bomb on him that his flight wasn't leaving until midnight. Still, they are much nicer than American Airlines. They brought out free snacks and water which I of course took from.
Said my goodbyes and wished him well and went back to my gate only to find out they moved. Cardio exercise again was done as my heart rate went up but it was only a physical change. I didn't miss the 7:55 flight that became the 8:15 to 8:30 to 8:55.
I sat next to an outlet just as a female passenger did and we both tried to plug in. My plug was huge and prevented hers but she had a plug that handled 2 devices so that was cool. Yes - I know that sounded perverted but it wasn't. Meanwhile, there was an iphone there that wasn't plugged in. Someone forgot it. What to do, what to do as TSA walked by but I decided to take it to the gate desk as I saw 2 workers there. Felt really bad for the person who left their phone behind.
We chatted when suddenly a guy comes over and demands to know where his phone is. I told him I gave it in and he got all upset. We told him it wasn't plugged in and we thought her forgot it but he got mad. When he came back he was almost yelling at us. He was really enraged and he started to call me an Idiot when the gate agent realized what happened and told him that he should thank us. He stopped his little tantrum and sulked away to his wife and kids who were 50 feet away. Who leaves a phone unattended where you can't even see it?!? He should have sat near the phone. What a ....
In any case, all in all, we switched gates 3 times that day!!! Then at the last gate, with a departure time of 9:15, with tons of flights getting either delayed or cancelled, they announced that they could give us a voucher for a bus that would leave at 8:45. They weren't even done and I was already there with most of the passengers behind me. Got my voucher, made a new friend Mark (I think) whose family owns a trucking company of 400+ employees and went in search of the bus. Talked on the bus ride. He still had a 2 hour drive after we get to Milwaukee which was a 1:15 ride in it self. The ride actually made a few stops on the way and it was funny/sad later to realize that he stopped 2 minutes from my hotel which didn't help me as my car was at Milwaukee airport. Oh well...Finally got to the airport and since I got there so late, they didn't have the car I requested. I requested the cheapest thing possible and all they had was a minivan or a Chryseller 300. I told them I want the most comfortable and it was the 300 and that was a sweet ride...
So my hotel was between Chicago and Milwaukee and now I had to drive 30 minutes back in the (of course) rain. Originally I planned on getting to the expo by 5pm and here I was getting into the hotel at 11:45 pm without going to the expo. Nice...Did my thing and went to sleep. Normally, I love early race starts but with the 7am start, I ended up sleeping 2.5 hours.
Not good.
Started driving to race site and I saw this Mustang going in the general direction and I followed them. Nice...Straight to one of the parking lots. The driver was a runner doing the half and her passenger was her mom who came to spectate. Walked together to the race start and said our goodbyes at the porta-potties.
Now a lot of plans got mangled so far and one of them was me buying some anti-chafe stuff in Wisconsin. I was afraid the TSA would confiscate my stuff so it made sense. It made sense until everything got screwed up. No problem, right? I'll find the medical tent and get some vaseline. Walked all over and couldn't find the medical tent or rather the people who were supposed to man it. I did find another volunteer who was willing to go with me to the medical tent and find some Vaseline for me. Yay...
Anyway, chilly day and I wore thin socks, tights and shorts, long sleeve shirt with MM singlet and my running skull cap and light gloves. It was already 6:20 and I decided another visit to the porta-potties was in order and I realized that there weren't a lot of them available and the lines were huge. I finally got out of there at 6:55 and the lines were still huge. Thank God for chip timing but still...
Anyway, it was a mass start except for the "All Cheese Corral". If you wore anything cheese related you could go in the first corral. I didn't.
Race started. The course starts with a little out and back for 4 miles. Once you are back near the start, you go straight out toward Cartage College which is around mile 8. A little past and you turn around and head back to the start. From them straight out again until a little past mile 19 and then head home.
The first 4 out and back were nice enough. With the lake on your left it was beautiful but a little chilly. During this section, something funny happened. I was watching the woman in front of me shed some cloths. Obviously she warmed up...Well, she took her headband (used to warm her forehead and ears) and through it out to the right. Well, she did it poorly and I guess she realized it because she looked at it's trajectory as it went in back of her and straight to my hands. We both looked at it stunned. We were both running and she basically threw it in back of her to me...She was so embarassed, she ran back to me and took it out of my hands apologizing profusly and threw it out. Tell the truth, I was gonna keep it (after several laundry cycles) and even thought of stopping to pick it up. Didn't tho. Still it was funny...
On the way to Cartage College I started talking to a MM dude who was taking it easy. Why? Because the weekend before he ran a race up a mountain. It was a Marathon that went up 6,500 yards. There was no flat. There was no down at the other side. There were no rollers. There was only 1 direction and it was up. We ran well together but at mile 9 he peeled off to a badly needed port-a-potty. Oh well.
I hooked up with a woman who was doing the half and we ran together until the half-marathon turn around at mile 12. She was getting a PR that day and was very happy to run with me. I saw that headband still there and still considered taking it but didn't. Miles 12-19 and to the turn around weren't great. Parts were on gravel and I felt bad for the people with vibrams or minimalist shoes. I was feeling the gravel and I can't imagine what they felt. Parts I ran off road on the grass to avoid but at one point I just had to sit on my butt and take my shoe off. I had 3 rocks in there and with a Marathon the next day who needs blisters that could be avoided by simply stopping. I ran at 1 point with JC. He's a NYer who also came for this race but was flying out later to Tacoma for the Marathon there. It was also a 10 year MM reunion. No Mitten challenge for him. Eventually he took off. He ran well. Makes sense as he is a 10 start maniac and tomorrow was his 100th marathon or longer. Nice...
I eventually hooked up with a guy who was not feeling it. I caught him as he was vomitting. I told him the best for him is actually some coke or pepsi. I, of course, was jonesing for one and was asking people for it. At 1 point, a woman actually pulls a pepsi out of her purse and gave it to me. WOW!!! Who carries a pepsi in their purse? Then again, who cares...It was great. I told my buddy that it doesn't make sense to give it to him as he shouldn't try new things out during a race. He agreed. His wife was going around with a bike. I think she did the half. Anyway she met him and gave him a turkey with cheese sandwitch. Say what?!? Well, he threw that up too later. Oh well. Eventually left him.
While I was running, I realized that I'm on pace to break 4 or at least be damn close and perhaps still get a PR. Awesome...And then we turned around a little after 19 and the plan went out the door. We were pretty much hugging the water and running into the wind. Oh well.
On and off I ran with a guy who did construction. His stomach was giving him issues. Kinda funny that we ran together. I initially eventually dropped him but then he came back and we leap-frogged each other or he took off and I would catch him and that would continue. He would eventually pull off and run in before me. Oh well.
I came up to a guy and girl running and couldn't help myself...had to say something. One was a wearing a green top and a yellow bottom and the other wore the opposites. I asked them if they got dressed in the dark. I think the guy answered that he's wearing her shorts but wasn't sure if he were joking.
There was a guy wearing a cow costume and initially I thought he perhaps forgot a part of the costume and running a little exposed. I then realized that he had too many body parts over there. He had his udders sticking out covering his junk and that's what I saw. It was actually a great costume and I was hoping to find a picture of it but didn't.
T-rex runner and her group ran by and I asked if they knew JC as he was also wearing the same t-shirt. They said yes but they can't talk because they are on a PR trek. Cool...I wish I could have stayed with them.
I started talking to another mittener who might join MM. Can't remember her name but I did see her the next day. Anyway left her too as I was running with another MM. I can't remember his name but we ran together. I knew were close but there were so many turns that you just couldn't see the finish line...Very annoying!
I saw a runner sitting on the curb at around mile 23 with 2 medics in attendance. How horrible. I stopped to shake his hand and wish him well. Sucks to have to stop at that point. I would have crawled to the finish but then again I don't know what happened to him.
Still making turns and it was the last right turn and I could see the finish line and my buddy said we should run hard and of course that's all I needed to hear and I took off.
Said my goodbyes and went to look for soda. I had a ticket for free beer and free bratwurst but they ran out of soda. SUCKS! Went to get my stuff and on the way to the car. While walking there was a guy driving a cart with his little daughter collecting the clothes that people dropped. I asked him jokingly, not really, for a ride, and he said he was going the wrong way. Oh well... And then I heard a noise. He ended up doing a U-turn and he stopped next to me and said, "GET IN! We'll get you there in time...". NICE! What am I talking about? The hotel checkout was set to 12:00 sharp and they refused to give late checkouts. They had a gold tournament or something and needed the rooms. With a 7am start I figured it would be no prob but with a 4:28 finish and a 8 block walk it would be tight. Dude opened the gate for me and I jumped on and I heard him say to his daughter something like let's see how fast this thing goes and before I knew it, I didn't fall out, I was at the car. Nice.
Set up the GPS and started driving. The GPS ETA was 12:00 and that stressed me out. I figured I would beg for a quick shower but otherwise there was a YMCA 10 minutes away I could use as a backup.
I got in and immediatly begged. The manager said that she will make me a key and that I have exactly 10 minutes to get back down there. Took the key and hurried off. The maid already started cleaning and that sucked. Took a quick shower, went to the maid to apologize again and to give her $ 10. Straight downstairs and back to the manager. I said to her, "OK...I'm here (hair dripping everywhere). It was only 5 minutes and it was a toss up between a shower and using the bathroom so where's the restroom?" She thought I was hillarious but pointed me in the right direction.
Drove to Wendy's. Love a spicy chicken sandwhich after a Mary but I was afraid that it would screw my stomach up so got a not spicy sandwhich. Ate and started the drive to Michigan.
I guess I should bring up food at this point and my garbage stomach. When I started running (long) I realized my stomach was one of those. I thought I kinda figured things out. The latest scheme I had was eating cereal with Milk the night before a long run or race. That seemed to work for me. Digests fast and coupled with an early am to eat and carrying a little waist belt with a bag of wipes made sure I was covered if a quick trip to the port-a-bush was in order. Still, this year did not start well. In the first 4 months of 2013, I had to make that trip more often. Used to be once in a few years and suddenly it was repeating weekends. Of course during races too. Then Passover came along and couldn't eat my cereal and I was fine. Matzah which never gives me issues while constipating others seem to work so the night before the flight to Wisconsin I made Matzah Breille (sp?). Basically Matzah, eggs and Matzah meal. Took them with me and Wisconsin was a success. Ate it at the airport in Chicago. Saturday a.m was a little tougher tho. With only 2.5 hours of sleep, breakfast didn't go down that easily and by that I mean swallowing but it did and had no issues. Yay!
I'm gonna stop here and continue this in the Kalamazoo Marathon (Michagin) Race Report for part 2 of this weekend.
