Life has been extremely busy so in some ways it is ok not to be running, but it would also be nice to have that stress relief available.  I really need to start cross-training (swimming) but can’t find the motivation to actually go to the YWCA.

Our house is slowly coming together. Only a few more rooms to get painted and then pretty much all the major stuff will be done. No one room is at 100% yet!

What is the impact of wearing headphones (ear buds) so much? Read this.

Past Race Reviews:

2007 Indianapolis Half Marathon

2007 Mid-South Half Marathon

2008 Rocky’s Run 8k

Past Foto Fridays:

Fall on the beach

Apples

More Fall leaves!

After looking at all of those fall pictures, here are a few fall running tips.

Hope you’ve had a good fall and that you are recovering well!!

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Be sure to read the story over at Run for the Medal. Ladies, how would you have responded to this type of proposal?

HT Running is Funny

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Previous Posts

This comes a little late for most of us, but some of you are in the midst of a taper.  Have you heard about Bad Ben? He’s stopped writing much on his blog but he has some crazy stories.  Green this and Green that – what about Eco Gyms.  I was amazed and pleased that last year I surpassed my fundraising goal for Team World Vision.  I wrote up a final sumamry. Foto Friday was of my first recovery run post marathon on the Mississippi River.

Here is a random update on the catheter story.  My wife, the nurse, informed me that my picture on my previous post about the story was incorrect. Here is a more accurate picture.

Below are some old highlights from past years for the past few weeks.  The last highlight reel was Sept 21.

I obviously talked about the marathon last year!  I wrote about a 2 minute video preview of the course. This year was a pictorial preview. Here is last year’s race plan and then my grading of it.  That was followed by a more thorough race review and chart-filled post. As part of last year’s race I raised money for Team World Vision.  In this time span I wrote about my first impressions in Ghana and a brief reflection on my time in South Africa.

Foto Friday’s for this time period included a beautiful lake scene, my trip odometer hitting 26.2 miles and my 2008 TCM race shwag.

In 2007 I wrote about the importance of adding accelerations into your training. I was also the featured blog of the week on Phedippidations. A friend chimed in with a guest review about the Lewis & Clark Marathon, not the flooded out one though.  While he was running 26.2 I had a great 4 mile race to fight Ovarian Cancer.  Hands down, one of my all time favorite posts is about t-shirt ettiqute.  Remember the dreadful day in October 2007 when it was in the 90’s for Chicago and TCM marathons?  I was a volunteer at Chicago and got cussed at because our water stop (mile 2) was out of water.  Not a fun day for anyone. Here are some pictures.  I found a great list of last minute marathon tips.  I started a series where I wrote about the blogs I read.  The first stop was one about race directing.

Thanks for hanging out.  I did find my camera cord, so I’ll eventually get some pictures up here.

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Jerry Johncock

I’m not sure what I think about this whole situation.  According to the Pioneer Press Jerry Johncock was almost disqualifed from the 2009 Twin Cities Marathon for using a catheter at mile 21.

The report says he couldn’t urinate and from past experience knew he had a blood clot which prevented him from going.  Based on USA Track and Field Rule 144.3(d) (pdf) TCM officials decided not to disqualify the 81 year old who ran a 5:22. Johncock holds the U.S. marathon record for men aged 80-84 with a time of 3:59:12 and placed 1st in the the age group this year. Officials were initially unsure whether using a catheter was improper assistance.

The story gets stranger.

Johncock asked for a catheter at a medical tent.  They don’t carry such a device, for obvious reason s – check out the pictures.  Then a random spectator offers a spare one from his car.  1) Who carries a spare catheter? 2) Would you use someone’s spare catheter? Evidently the guy had a spinal cord injury.

Then according to this “explicit” picture, he would have to stick it up his penis (while running?) while standing on the side of the road. In a near by ambulance – obviously.

Then he ran 5 more miles.

Here are his race stats:

Jerry Johncock earned his finisher’s medal.  Based on my calculations he lost about 40 minutes with this incident.

Pioneer Press Articles:
Results stand for man, 81, who used catheter during marathon
No DQ for marathoner, 81, who borrowed catheter
Man borrows catheter from stranger’s car to finish Twin Cities Marathon
Picture Credit

Here is a random update on the catheter story.

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I finished my second marathon. Pretty worse for the wear, but I finished. I had pretty modest expectations going into the race based on my training over the last year. I felt that 3:30 was pretty reasonable since most of my longer runs had been at 8 minute pace.

A friend from college, Pez, was debuting this year and he’s a pretty smart guy and decided to run with me for the first 3 miles around 8 minute pace and slowly build up. He had an excellent race finishing in 3:19. I felt really good during the first 5k, I did stop for a quick bathroom break and had to force myself to not try to catch back up.

I passed fellow classmate Kevin on the north side of Lake of the Isles. Staying pretty consistent at 8 minute pace. The 3:30 pace group was pretty far ahead now, because of my potty break – but they did take it out fairly fast from the start. I passed Deb on the north side of Lake Calhoun and the ran with Anne and her friend for awhile on the south side of the lake. I probably should have stayed with any of them and continued running at an easier pace. But I was hitting my splits pretty accurately.

At some point early on the Minnehaha Parkway part of the course I started catching up to the 3:30 pace group. At which point it got really crowded. Marty was towards the front of the group and we slowly came together as we went through the rolling hills stretch. I was taking it easy and hitting 8 minute pace. Marty and I ran together for a couple of miles. He said he was struggling and right before Cedar he said he would see me at the finish and dropped off.

I maintained my pace through 13 but started to hurt around 12. It started in my hips and throughout the race slowly worked its way down my legs. Mostly on the left side (where I have plantar fasciitis). I got through the half in 1:44 so pretty much right where I wanted to be. I slowed down a bit and I think I stopped to stretch it out before leaving Nokomis. From here my splits slowly slowed down as I struggled with trying to loosen up my legs, staying mentally tough, and not bonking.

As my paces show I quickly deteriorated and never really recovered. Part of me wanted to quit, part of me wanted to walk, part of me knew I had to fight to the finish. I made a mental decision that I would finish, even if I had to walk the rest of the way, but also made the decision that I would run for at least a mile in between walk breaks. I started just trying to walk through water stops, but then gave up on that and just started walking when I didn’t feel like going any farther.

I saw my wife and friend at mile 16 and gave them the thumbs down. I think they knew I was off pace but the thumbs down was a clear sign that I was struggling. I heard a couple of my students cheer for me and a former student gave me a needed/welcome Gu pack around mile 17.

Blood Filled Blister!

The rest of the race is a blur of struggle and pain but I finished. And I was running at the finish. I finished in 3:56:00 officially. Deb and I passed each other back and forth throughout the last 8 miles. She served as much needed motivation to keep on pushing. A first time marathoner chatted with me a bit as we were getting ready to go up the St Thomas hill. I told him I was doing terrible but he kept talking. As we started up the hill he asked, “Is this the big hill.” I replied, “One of them.” He was caught of guard by that, and I felt a little bad, but I was out of it and didn’t really want to chit chat about the intricacies of the last 6 miles.

One high point of the final stretch was my wife and friend were just in front of the Target Cheer Zone. Summit Ave is already pretty packed with people and can be very encouraging. So I passed them and they were really cheering and the whole block or two was extremely uplifting, especially as you pass through the Cheer Zone. I got a boost in my step, which didn’t last near as long as I was hoping!

Seeing the cathedral top made me happy because I knew it was almost over. Then slowly making the turn and seeing the capital. I dug deep and found something and pushed hard. The crowd roared and I finished. Then I shuffled through the chute getting water, fruit, chips, a banana, a heat sheet, vegetable broth, and finally a finisher’s shirt. Marty and I hobbled and talked for a bit before I tried to find my wife and friends to go home.

It is amazing how much pain you can be in after running that far. My body hurt during the run, but hurt even worse right after it was over and for the rest of the day! When I peeled off my sock I found a nice blood filled blister pictured above!

Thank you to the thousands of people who cheered!! Those who knew my name, those who cheered for “MDRA” (my jersey), my race number, and even those who yelled for “MORA” (because evidently the D looks like an O). Each and every one of you and all of the volunteers helped make this race successful.

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