• Kentucky – 1 – KDF 2012
• New York – 1 – NYC 2011
• Tennessee – 3 – Flying Monkey 2008, 2010. Memphis 2009.
• Illinois – 1 – Chicago 2010
• Indiana – 1 – Indianapolis Monumental 2009.
• West Virginia – 1 – Hatfield McCoy 2008
• Ohio – 1 – Flying Pig 2008
• North Carolina – 1 – OBX 2007

The History

Despite finishing 9 marathons total, I’ve never finished a marathon in my home town.

My history:

• 2009 DNS – Signed up for the KDF marathon in January. Got injured in late January and ran/walked about 1/10th as much in February and March as I did in January.  Never started the race.
• 2010 DNF- My kids got a stomach virus the week before marathon week. I avoided the nastiness, but my stomach didn’t feel right the day or two before the marathon. During the marathon, I sat down on the side of the course at mile 11 with intestinal problems. After fighting to get over the last hill in Cherokee Park at mile 16, without the guts to do so, I saw a friend spectating around mile 17 and used his phone to call for pickup.
• 2011 DNR- I didn’t sign up, but I helped another runner train for his first marathon. The week before the marathon, we ran 20 miles at a pace similar to my two fastest marathons. It was like KDF was taunting me.
• 2012 – Signed up. My Garmin flew apart two weeks ago in Iroquois Park, at mile 7 of an intended 20 miler. Last Saturday, I stubbed my toe and it turned black and blue (no breakage upon X-ray, but still…)

Reality

No, I don’t really believe in the curse. I’ve taken the race for granted. I don’t take care of things like I would if I were more heavily invested in another race:

• I know too many people near the course who I can hang out with if I quit.
• I push things too hard, because all I have to risk is the registration fee…  not vacation time, travel fare, reservations.
• *or* I don’t take training seriously because I haven’t spent $100s or $1000s.
• The race will always be there next year.
• There is no difficulty getting registered for the race.

The problem is, none of these factors have changed, and now I’m obsessing over a toe. Obviously, the only remedy for this “curse” is finishing.

Now, you can pay for the opportunity to be notified. No free notification mentioned (which is very helpful in letting a family member know if you need help, etc…)  At the 10-, 15-, 25- and 30-km markers, that means mini marathon participants (the overwhelming majority of participants) only get 2 updates.  Marathoners, of course, would get 4 updates. That’s $1 or $2 per text…  And from the wording of the below ad, that’s $3.99 per notification method/person being notified… probably should post those updates to Facebook for the most bang for your buck.

02/20/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:39

02/21/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:39

02/22/2012 – Tempo Run
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: Warm; 4 mi @ 7:17; Cool

02/23/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: 8:39

02/24/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: 8:39

02/25/2012 – Long Run
Distance: 14 mi
Pace: 8:39

02/26/2012 – Rest / XT
Distance: 0 km
Pace: Easy

02/27/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:39

02/28/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:39

02/29/2012 – Speedwork
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: Warm; 2×1600 in 6:49w/800 jogs; Cool

03/01/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/02/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/03/2012 – Long Run
Distance: 16 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/04/2012 – Rest / XT
Distance: 0 km
Pace: Easy

03/05/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/06/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/07/2012 – Tempo Run
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: Warm; 5 mi @ 7:21; Cool

03/08/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/09/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/10/2012 – Long Run
Distance: 18 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/11/2012 – Rest / XT
Distance: 0 km
Pace: Easy

03/12/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/13/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/14/2012 – Tempo Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: Warm; 6 mi @ 7:25; Cool

03/15/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/16/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/17/2012 – Long Run
Distance: 20 mi
Pace: 8:39

03/18/2012 – Rest / XT
Distance: 0 km
Pace: Easy

03/19/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:29

03/20/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:29

03/21/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:29

03/22/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:29

03/23/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: 8:29

03/24/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: 8:29

03/25/2012 – Rest / XT
Distance: 0 km
Pace: Easy

03/26/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 10 mi
Pace: 8:29

03/27/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 9 mi
Pace: 8:29

03/28/2012 – Speedwork
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: Warm; 3×1600 in 6:41w/800 jogs; Cool

03/29/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 9 mi
Pace: 8:29

03/30/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 9 mi
Pace: 8:29

03/31/2012 – Long Run
Distance: 16 mi
Pace: 8:29

04/01/2012 – Rest / XT
Distance: 0 km
Pace: Easy

04/02/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 9 mi
Pace: 8:29

04/03/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 9 mi
Pace: 8:29

04/04/2012 – Tempo Run
Distance: 9 mi
Pace: Warm; 7 mi @ 7:20; Cool

04/05/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 9 mi
Pace: 8:29

04/06/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:29

04/07/2012 – Long Run
Distance: 20 mi
Pace: 8:29

04/08/2012 – Rest / XT
Distance: 0 km
Pace: Easy

04/09/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 9 mi
Pace: 8:29

04/10/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 9 mi
Pace: 8:29

04/11/2012 – Tempo Run
Distance: 10 mi
Pace: Warm; 8 mi @ 7:24; Cool

04/12/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 9 mi
Pace: 8:29

04/13/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 9 mi
Pace: 8:29

04/14/2012 – Long Run
Distance: 20 mi
Pace: 8:29

04/15/2012 – Rest / XT
Distance: 0 km
Pace: Easy

04/16/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 5 mi
Pace: 8:18

04/17/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 5 mi
Pace: 8:18

04/18/2012 – Tempo Run
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: Warm; 5 mi @ 7:03; Cool

04/19/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 5 mi
Pace: 8:18

04/20/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 5 mi
Pace: 8:18

04/21/2012 – Long Run
Distance: 8 mi
Pace: 8:18

04/22/2012 – Rest / XT
Distance: 0 km
Pace: Easy

04/23/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 4 mi
Pace: 8:39

04/24/2012 – Rest / XT
Distance: 0 km
Pace: Easy

04/25/2012 – Tempo Run
Distance: 7 mi
Pace: Warm; 4 mi @ 7:17; Cool

04/26/2012 – Easy Run
Distance: 4 mi
Pace: 8:39

04/27/2012 – Rest / XT
Distance: 0 km
Pace: Easy

04/28/2012 – Marathon Race Day
Distance: 26.2 mi
Pace: Marathon 7:33 Time: 3:18:04

Bloody knee at the end of the run

It’s been a while since I’ve taken a spill during a run…  seems like it’s been a year and a half since my last fall, and almost 5 years since one similar in nastiness to this one, and that one was at mile 2 of a 10 mile race.

There I was, lost in a neighborhood close to Highview, on the edge of Fern Creek.  I had begun this planned 18 miler unsure if I could finish any more than 10 miles.

My first 5 miles were a familiar route that I’ve used before for 7 to 23 milers, part of an out-and-back route that makes an intentionally indirect weaving path through a neighborhood close to the Gene Snyder Freeway that forms the outer access belt of the county. It’s a sidewalk and low-traffic neighborhood route that usually provides 6.8 filler miles in my wanderings through southeast Louisville. I’ve also used the route to the point that I pretty much hate it–more so than the treadmill.

And so, at mile 5, I needed a different route to keep going. I started veering off toward a route on the other side of Bardstown Rd., thinking that I’d just add a few miles off the busy street before continuing on my more regularly used route.

However, on my diverted route, I decided to explore a street I had never been through before. The first street of the diversion was easy enough to remember, but then I came across a nice little loop road that continued on to another neighborhood.  I took the loop road and then exited to another set of roads.

On my way back, I got back on the loop road and tried to find my way back–making at least two loops in the process. Once I finally found my way back to the street I started with, I was mentally fatigued from realizing that I was lost. As I went down the sidewalk on the road back, I didn’t notice that there was an unevenness in the sidewalk, and tripped and went for a nice flop onto the concrete.

Because of the cold, the landing on the ground was a dulled shock to the system. I had shake off the cobwebs and force myself up off the ground. Somehow, that spill around mile 10 challenged my ego enough to get me through another 8 miles that were originally in doubt.

It took me a couple of blocks to get moving with any rhythm again, and my leg strength was weakened by the fall. Those last 8 miles were rough and hilly, but the fall somehow made me determined to finish the planned 18–I just couldn’t quit because of a little fall.

I’m sure anyone who saw me those last few miles (including several runners) were probably horrified by the looks of the wound. Of course, the wound cleaned up in the shower into a tiny little scrape, but I’m glad that the skin on the knee doesn’t seem to feel as much some other areas.

18 miles in 2:55:57

Bloody knee after cleaning