Virginia Beach, Shamrock Marathon March 17th - March 21
I sort of decided at the last minute to sign up for the Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon. My friend Tracy was running it and I thought, what the heck....I'll run it too!
I left on Thursday, March 17th after work. I didn't arrive to Virginia Beach until late that night. Tracy was already in our hotel sleeping by the time I got there. Luckily, we got a pretty good deal on a hotel right on the beach.
 |
| The Seahawk Motel is so teeny compared to the newer, bigger hotels in the area, but I didn't care because it was still on the beach! |
The weather wasn't super warm, but at least it was sunny and there was no snow!
Friday, Tracy and I hit the race expo. We got there right when it opened and they had quite a grand entrance! There were volunteers cheering and clapping, a guy playing the bagpipe and a guy dressed as a leprechaun!
 |
Entering the Run Expo in Virginia Beach
 | | This guy welcomed us to the expo! |
|
 |
| Tracy and I at the expo! |
After the expo, we just walked around a bit. We got some food at the grocery store, we tried to sit on the beach for a bit....even though it was kind of cold....and we just generally relaxed. The race actually offered a 'Whale Challenge' where you run an 8k on Saturday and then the full marathon on Sunday. I figured, "go big or go home", so I signed up for it! Tracy decided that she would be my support staff! haha. It was kind of cool thought because the end of the race went all along the entire Virginia Beach walkway....and I got an idea of how it was going to be for Sunday's big run.
 |
| Me at the end of my 8k |
After the 8k, I got cleaned up and Tracy and I just meandered around a little bit. Again, we didn't do too much of anything since the big run was the next day.
 |
| Tracy likes to eat a big pretzel and a beer the night before a race. She found this cool pub called the Wasserhund, which literally translates to Water Dog in English. We had decided to walk there because we didn't have a car and 'it wasn't that far'. It was 3 miles, but it took us FOREVER to get there! haha. We carb-loaded and then decided to Uber back to the hotel! |
Tracy and I got up and ready for the race with no problems. The weather was great. It was cool and sunny. I was a little nervous about it being too hot, but it worked out ok.
 |
| Ready for the start of the race! |
This course was really nice. I usually don't like doubling back on a route...it can really mess with your head to have to pass the finish line and keep going for another 13 miles! haha. But the nice thing about doing that, is that you do have the opportunity to see the elite runners finish When I was just reaching the 1/2way point, I saw the first male finishing the race!
The other cool thing about this route, is that we got to run through 2 different military bases. Some of the families that lived on the base came out and waved and had signs. There were these 2 guys that were holding up a sign right at their waist that said something like 'keep running or we will drop this sign'. When you approached them it looked like they were nude! They both had shorts on, but it was pretty funny. There was another group of people that were dressed up in costumes and handing out water to people. It's fun to see people doing that and have local support. Sometimes I'm not sure if people do it because they want to support the runners or they want an excuse to party in the street for many hours without the police interfering! Either way, I don't care....I'll accept their drunk support!
 |
| The course |
 |
| Entering Fort Story. I didn't realize what a big deal it was for us to run through the base. There were a LOT of military personnel standing along the race course. One person had a German Shepard dog. It finally made sense to me why the race website was very specific about what you could and could not wear during the race. They forbid backpacks...only hydration backpacks were allowed. |
 |
| One of the lighthouses in Fort Story |
 |
| Just getting to the finish line by the giant statue of Neptune |
 |
My 8k medal, my marathon medal and then I got a special 'Whale Challenge' medal for doing both races.
|
Overall, the race went pretty well. However, around mile 5 my right foot starting hurting really bad. Only later would I find out that I have the start of a tailor's bunion. I had put some mole skin over my pinky toe, but that only made it worse. I probably stopped 5 times along the race route to take off my shoe and try and adjust my sock/shoe to relieve the pain. No such luck really. So, I basically ran most of the race with my right foot feeling like it was on fire. As soon as I crossed the finish line, I took off my shoes and just limped around. Other then my foot, this race was one of the most supported races I have ever been to. I got the amazing medals, we got free beer and food tickets, I got a soccer sack, a blanket, a hat, tons of snacks, there was a tent with a band...and the whole celebration was right on the beach. It was fantastic!
I sat on the beach with my blanket and snacks waiting for Tracy to finish. Once she finished, we sat a little longer relaxing and reliving the race details. She couldn't relax long because she had to catch a plane back to Kansas that evening! So, we went back to the hotel so she could get ready and take off.
My plane didn't leave until 5am Monday morning. But since you need to be at the airport at least 2 hrs early, that meant that I would need to schedule an Uber for around 3am. Luckily, I thought to myself, "I bet it will be hard to get an uber at 3am". So, I scheduled one for 2am thinking that there would be a lot of Ubers out and about picking up drunks. Anyway, at 2am my Uber showed up and took me to the airport. My driver did mention that it was a good idea I scheduled one for 2am because I probably wouldn't have gotten a driver at 3. Got to the airport just fine and got on my plane. I had a layover in Charlotte, NC. Got on that plane headed back to GR. During that flight, something scary happened. I was sleeping when all of a sudden I felt and heard a loud 'THUD'. I woke up confused, but before I could figure out what happened, the girl next to me starts shouting and pushing all the emergency buttons above our heads. She's yelling "HELP HELP, WE NEED A DOCTOR HELP". My heart almost leaped out of my chest. A girl was walking down the isle back to her seat when she passed out and face planted hard in the isle (that was the thud I heard). The stewardesses races to her and some guy that said he was a doctor helped roll her over, lift her head and try to get her to wake up. They finally got her awake and got her to drink some water. One of the stewardesses shouts "Is someone with this woman???". From way back in the plane, this old lady gets up and says "Oh, she's with me, don't worry about it this happens all the time". Strange response, but ok. Not sure why they weren't sitting together, but people moved seats so that the old lady could sit next to her daughter/grand daughter. They got the girl up and back to her seat and everyone clapped. Once we landed in GR, they had medical right at the gate to pick up the girl that fainted. What I thought was weird is that the old bag that was with the girl apparently needed medical attention too because I saw her in a wheelchair being wheeled next to the girl that fainted. Anyway, the girl that fainted was smiling and talking so that was good. Crazy ending to a fun marathon weekend!!
Big Sur Marathon, Big Sur, California - April 21-26
The next marathon on the list was Big Sur. Jeanette and I both entered the lottery for this marathon and we both were accepted! Typically, this race is supposed to be very difficult to get in to, but I think because of Covid, a lot of people just aren't signing up for races because there's the possibility that they will be canceled. Regardless, we both got in!
I flew to San Fran Thursday evening and the plan was that Alicia, my step-sister, was going to pick me up at the airport. True to form, my flight from GR was delayed because some fat lady forgot her extender seatbelt in her car and we couldn't take off until she was able to buckle in. I barely had time to get to my connector flight in Charlotte, NC, but I made it. Unfortunately, my luggage did not. Alicia picked me up Thursday evening from San Fran airport. My luggage missed the connector flight, so I had no clothes. Alicia gave me a t-shirt and shorts and I was able to take a shower and wash the airport grime off at least. Friday, Amin and Alicia had to work, so I worked too. In between working, I was able to visit with Yara, Alicia and Amin's little one. Around 4pm, Jeanette got in to San Fran, picked up my luggage, drove to Alicia's house and picked me up so we could head to Monterey (technically Seaside) for the evening. We stopped for dinner and then continued the drive. I was not used to all those winding California roads, so I started getting car sick but I was able to hold it together until we got to the hotel.
 |
| Yara trying to figure out who the heck I am
|
 |
| Saturday morning we joined a Shake out Run in downtown Monterey. We only ran about 3 miles, but it was nice to see other runners and check out the area. |
 |
| The race expo was at the Monterey Conference Center. It really felt like a pre-covid expo. Lots of samples too! :) |
 |
The Monterey Marina
 | | After getting cleaned up from the shake out run and picking up our Bibs at the race Expo, we decided to drive the entire course and take pictures. That way we would recognize the course and we wouldn't have to stop and take pictures when we were dying mid-race. |
 | | If you ever watched Big Little Lies, you know this bridge! Funny though, it's a lot smaller in real life. We did run over this bridge during the race. I'd say it was 1/4 mile long or maybe 1/2 mile at the most. |
 | The entire race looked like this. Just amazing!!!
|
|
After driving the course, we decided to drive through Pebble beach. Jeanette is a big golfer, so it was pretty exciting for her. The area is definitely beautiful and if you love golfing right on the ocean, then this is the place for you. We looked up what it would cost to play a round there and I think Google said somewhere around $500!
 |
| Apparently, this lone cypress is a big hit on Instagram. |
MARATHON MORNING: We got up around 3:30am to eat, get ready, warm up, and of course poop before we had to be at the bus pick-up at Embassy Suites Seaside between 4-4:15am.
Because it was an out and back, the buses were picking everyone up and driving us to the starting line in Big Sur. We both sat down and got comfortable for our hour long ride when all of a sudden a guy gets on the bus and shouts "IS EVERYONE READY WHOOOO". Jeanette and I both whisper shut the fuck up. No one responded, so I think he got the hint. haha
 |
| Don't mess with Jeanette when she is trying to sleep on the bus before a big race! She is a serious sleeper! haha |
 |
| From about mile 9-13, the road was at a long steady incline. It wasn't steep, just loooooong. These drummers were playing right at the start of the incline. It was very ominous about what was to come! |
 |
| 1/2 way through the suffering! You can see Bixby Bridge in the background. After the bridge, it was more flat and slightly downhill. |
 |
| Hallelujah is right!! |
 |
| Luckily, the pain that I had in my right pinky toe did not bother me too much during this race thank goodness! I kept my feet relaxed and tried not to grip my toes. The burning popped up a couple of times, but when it did I wiggled my toes a little and it went away. Overall, it was a great run. Minimal pain. Just very exhausting with all the up and down hills. |
After the race, Jeanette and I found each other in the Marathon Village. They had food, drinks, etc for all the runners. We also had to grab our check-in gear bags. After gathering all of our stuff and pulling ourselves together a little bit, we headed back to the finish line to see if we could find her friends that she knew were running too.
There was a 6hr cutoff for the race, so she was starting to wonder if her friends made it since we didn't see them. About halfway through the race, if you didn't make it to a certain point by a certain time, they literally would pull you off the course, put you on a bus, and bus you to the finish line without allowing you to finish. That was my biggest fear the entire race! Anyway, as we were watching the last of the runners cross the finish line, there was this 70-80 year old man finishing. Poor guy must have just ran out of energy because he fell about 3 times not more then 30 feet from the finish. Medical ran out and got him up and over the finish line. I think they announced that he was the oldest person running the race. It's funny how exhausted you become after a marathon. While we were standing there, Jeanette was trying to put on running pants and I had to help hold her so she could lift her foot to put her pants on!
Anyway, Jeanette eventually found her friends. We chatted with them for a bit. As we were chatting, this random guy just sat down on the ground and pass out. He had just finished the marathon as well. Someone called 911 or ran and got the race medical staff. I went into the cafe right there and bought a couple pops for the guy to help get him some sugar. He kept saying he was fine, but he couldn't get up. Medical showed up and took care of him. I gave the pop I bought to one of the medical guys and said that it was for him if he needs it.
After that little bit of drama and saying goodbye to Jeanette's friends, we then had to find a bus to take us back to the hotel. I'm not sure how we managed it, but we didn't have to wait long and hopped on a bus that took us right back to our hotel. Once we got back, we cleaned up and then drove to the town Carmel-by-the-Sea. Jeanette had found a cool Italian restaurant that had gluten free food. We also went to a wine bar for some drinks. It is a very cute town and I wish we had more energy and time to hang out before having to leave.
Monday, we got up and checked out of the hotel. Jeanette's flight did not leave until 10pm that evening. So, we decided to head up San Fran and spend the day there. We drove up over the San Fran bridge, went to Muir woods, came back to the city and walked around Fisherman's Warf in San Fran before heading to the airport so Jeanette could catch her evening flight
 |
| Stopping just North of the Bridge so we could take pictures |
 |
| We didn't hike much in Muir woods since both of us were tired and sore from the marathon the day before. I forgot what a long winding road it is from highway 1 down to the park. I thought I was going to be care sick after that ride! |
 |
| Jeanette and I |
 |
| Looking at Alcatraz from near Fisherman's Warf |
 |
| A lefty store on the warf |
I was supposed to leave Monday night around the same time that Jeanette was. My flight got bumped to Tuesday morning at 6am. Because of my flight bump, I figured I would just stay with Alicia Monday night and either Uber to the airport or take the commuter train. My mom found out and starts yelling at me that her and David are going to be there and there is no room for me and she doesn't want me to Uber or take the train at 3am to get to the San Fran airport for a 6am flight. So, to avoid the entire thing, I went to the airport with Jeanette Monday night. We got there around 10pm. However, since my flight was 6am the next day, I was unable to check in my luggage. They told me that I would be able to check in my luggage on the day of my flight. I 'thought' that meant that at midnight I could check my luggage. However, at about 11:30pm they closed the entire check in area and it didn't open again until 3-4am. Therefore, I could not get any farther into the airport then the front doors. I did some work remotely, since with my job I could barely take any time off without work piling up exponentially. After doing some work for a couple of hours, I tried to set up a camp in a corner on the floor to sleep. I had no sooner got all comfortable on the floor then some insane lady and her 3 screaming kids stood RIGHT NEXT TO ME forcing me to move. They were crying and screaming and she decided that in order to quiet them she would play TV shows from Youtube on full blast in a foreign language that I did not understand. After about 5 minutes of that, I got up and moved my camp. I found a chair to sit in, but I couldn't really get comfortable. Needless to say, I didn't sleep all night.
The flight back to Michigan was pretty uneventful. Got home just fine and I was able to check off California off my list of states that I have ran a marathon in!
May 28th: Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City
I wasn't planning on running Bayshore, but I figured since I had ran a marathon in March and April and I was planning another marathon in June, I might as well run one in May!
I signed up at the last minute and we got a room in a really crappy hotel about 3 miles from the start. Bayshore was over Memorial Weekend and the traffic heading North was horrendous. We left early and it still took us forever to get there. I think we got there with 1hr left at the expo for me to pick up my T-shirt and bib.
After getting my stuff, we didn't do anything except go back to the hotel so I could prepare all my stuff for the next morning run.
The next morning, Gary drove me to the start at and dropped me off. The run was an out and back on the Traverse City peninsula. Everything felt fine jogging up to the start. However, as soon as the race started, I felt something funny in my left side/hip. I didn't think much of it, but as I ran the pain got worse and worse. I was NOT going to stop of course because that would just be crazy (Not very smart I know).....so for the next 4hrs and 11 minutes I ran in major pain. The weird thing is that this race ended up being my best marathon time ever. As soon as it ended, I found Gary and told him that it felt like someone punched me in my left thigh. I was limping pretty bad and he helped me back to the car. After taking a shower and pulling myself together, we went downtown TC to eat and have a drink. We ate at some brewery in town which was pretty good. I think it was Mackinaw Brew company. Anyway, after eating and having a drink we drove back to the hotel and decided that we didn't want to stay the night. I didn't feel good because my hip was hurting and the hotel was pretty shitty. So we packed up and headed back home to sleep in our own bed.
The next day I looked at my hip and noticed I had all this bruising. I did not understand how I could get bruises when I did not hit anything. Little did I know at the time that this event would be the start of a lot of doctor appointments, Physical Therapy appointments and sports massage appointments. More of that to come in my next blog.
 |
| Waiting at the start at Northwestern Michigan College |
 |
| Me finishing on the track at NWM |
 |
| I guess the look on my face kind of indicates how I was feeling at the moment. |
 |
| Finished with my best time, but now I'm nursing an injury |
