Metre Eaters Meatball Run

This past weekend was my first time volunteering at a race, a different perspective for sure. I decided not to run this race as I had just run Myrtle Beach the week before. As Vice President of the Metre Eaters I am responsible for the Timing clock, this my first time setting it up, I was not on my own, a fellow Metre Eater (Dave) gave me the 101 on setting it up.

Here is me and my new gadget. I met some people that I have heard their names many times before but had no face to match it to. The behind the scenes people make these events happen and ensure people remain safe throughout. 

I was at the finish line when the first male came across the finish line at 17 minutes, that is unreal, I would not have been even close to half way by then. Here's the first male:

The weather that morning was windy and cold, the wind on bridge the runners had to run over and back on was even stronger. 

I had run the Meatball Run previous years and convinced my friend Kathy to run it because it was so much fun. She did a fantastic job, but the wind was not what she would consider to be fun. 

Go Kathy!!

All of the runners and the walkers were finished in 48 minutes which is a really good time for everyone to have crossed the finish line. 

Robin and others helped me take down the clock and pack it up. As part of the Meatball Run we go to the Knights of Columbus for spaghetti and meatballs  and prizes. The meatballs are so good, it is worth the run in the cold just for the meatballs. Great Day!

Beading

My friends and I bead necklaces and sell them in our community to raise money for kids in Kenya. The necklaces are beaded and we put a running girl charm on them along with other charms that can be added when certain distances in running are achieved.

My friend made me a necklace blue and white when we were training for my first half marathon, Miles with the Giant. I wore it for the first time when we did a practice run of the half marathon route. After finishing the half marathon race I earned my 13.1 shoe charm which I added to my necklace.

I have another necklace that is not beaded and just has a leather chain, which I bought when training for my first Fire Fighters 10 Mile Road Race.

My newest necklace I made when I had started training for the Manitoba Marathon, then the race didn't work out and I hadn't earned my 26.2 shoe to add to the necklace. I wore this same necklace to train for the Myrtle Beach Marathon, even though people who are superstitious would think that the necklace was now bad luck I wore it anyway. I kept it on for race day as they say not to change anything on race day.
I finished the marathon and earned my 26.2 shoe which I added to my necklace today (Thanks Karen).

Finish Line

After running for 6 hours and 26 miles the finishing was in sight, I almost thought it could have been a mirage.
There was a medic on a bike that was doing a great job of giving people that last hooray to get them to the finishers chute.



We had been looking out for my friends parents all along the route and with a few hundred yards to go I spotted them on the corner of the street, I started yelling "There's your Dad, there's your Dad."

We got closer and closer to the last few hundred meters and I was so happy.
We ran across the finish line together, as we had gotten threw the race and the training together.

Our first Marathon finished in our roll over year, I was so happy, I was overwhelmed when we crossed the line.
I had been saying in the last few miles that I was never doing this again, but for that finishing feeling, I would do it again and again.

Thumbs up to all of the people involved in the Myrtle Beach Marathon, Thank You for this video.
Check it out,

Race Day Yeah!

Good Morning, this is the morning of race day, I as many of you know do not do mornings well, during our training we had meant to do some early morning runs but did not and this picture is a result of that.

We got up at 0500 and got prepared for the challenge ahead of us, doing all of the little things that get us to the start line.

We were only a few blocks away, we walked outside the doors of the hotel and followed the crowd to the start line. It all became really real when I could see the start line, although I wasn't nervous I wanted everything to go as planned, this Marathon meant allot to me in many ways, the first being to avoid the bus and finish it.

There were approx. 7,000 people running in both the Half and Full Marathons. They both started at the same time but the Half marathoners started on one side and the Full Marathoners on the other side of the road, we merged a few miles later.

The Star Spangled Banner was sung and the poor guy who was singing it forgot the lines only a few lines in and asked to start over, which he did then we were off.

I took this pic of the water station, I believe it was mile 4, the runners and all the cups everywhere. Just after this we noticed a man that did not look very good, he was running towards us in the wrong direction of the race and he did not look well. He looked really grey, sweating and seemed to be waivering on the road from side to side. I thought he might have been running in the opposite direction trying to find a medic to help him, then about half a mile later he came running up behind us.
 I got this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach that this guy was going to drop dead at anytime. We were ready to do CPR when he needed it, I was going to do chest compressions and then take of my shirt as it was mesh so Lynda could put it over his mouth and blow through it. He kept on running so thankfully he didn't need our help.  Around mile 11 we saw him again and he was still upright but did not look well, we never saw him again after that.
A man did have a cardiac arrest at mile 18 and was taken to hospital, he woke a few days later from a medically induced coma not remembering the race, I don't know whether it was the same guy, but thankfully the guy is okay.

You can see in the distance all the runners that look like ants, this was around mile 4-5 and I wanted to be on the other side, the other side meant we were around mile 7.5.

Around mile 7 the route went into a place called Market Common which is streets of little shops, along this route was a store that had opened there doors to use the bathroom if you needed and out front of their store they had a real rooster in a warm jacket and it was dancing to the music they were playing.

Myrtle Beach has some of the greatest people along the route, spectators, and volunteers, they get involved and do a great job of cheering us on along the way.

Sam was watching the race from my grandparents place around mile 8, so I kept my eyes out for them and they were waiting for me.

 We stopped for some pics for Sam and then away we went. 

The crowd we had been running along with were so friendly and so much fun to run along with, they loved "Nancy". A shout out to Donald, the lady from the start that had  had the stroke, the green machine and everyone we chatted with.

At mile 12 the turn off for the Half Marathoners came up and many of the people we had been chatting with turned off.
I just wanted to see mile 13 and that meant I was half way.

I wasn't feeling to bad at this point and then at mile 15 something turned and I felt I was going to be sick, I think I had over hydrated and all that water was sloshing around in my stomach, I had to throw up.
I threw up a little bit at a time, all the while continuing to walk in the right direction. At mile 16 I still felt gross so I made myself throw up which was all water and power aide and felt better after that. Thank you to the man from the sidelines who was concerned and came up to me to see that everything was okay, I was just filled to the gills with water. All the things I will have to work through for next time.

I whined from mile 16 on, "I hate running, who's idea was this anyways". 

I took this picture of myself at mile 21 just to see how awful I looked, the weather was getting warmer, the sun was shining bright and I was starting to melt. 

The route was so awesome, Myrtle Beach is really a beautiful place, and the route covers all of the city.

Here is the mile 23 turn where we actually witnessed a lady cheating, at the turn there were no race officials and so a lady didn't run all the way to the end to turn but cut it short and turned. It was unreal, she couldn't run the extra 200 meters after already going 23 miles. 

A few more miles and we crossed the finish line, I will do another post for the finish as I don't have the pics of it, which I'm sure were amazing. I was overwhelmed at the finish, we ran it in together, and I got rid of anything I had left coming across the line. I soaked up the moment. 

The medal we got is some serious bling.

The last few miles all I wanted was a giant glass of cold Diet Pepsi and once we were back at the hotel I sucked back that Diet Pepsi, it was so refreshing.

The only battle scars I came away with were blisters on the back of my heels, which started around mile 6,  I didn't acknowledge that I had them because I felt if I didn't pay attention to them they weren't there.

I was not used to wearing short summer socks and so my heels rubbed on the back of my shoes.

These are my only wounds from the road, I am happy with the whole experience. I will go back next year and run in Myrtle Beach again, there is another Marathon that I have my eyes on for May 2013.

Still Pre-Race Day

Okay there will be 4 posts as I keep chatting.

I stayed at my grandparents closer to the beach and farther from the race start line then Lynda did, and next year I would stay closer to the start line.

We went to the Expo at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center the night we arrived, we were just so excited to get our race kits.

No that is not snow in the pic, just something on the lens.

Even though it was not all that warm, it was better then being here in the snow.

Everything was so well organized, we got our race kits and shirts (which thankfully we could exchange because mine was skin tight, not my style) and then checked out all the booths. I did get a new pair of shoes (not to wear on race day) but they were a great price, I also got two running shirts which if you live here or watch my blog will see in the future.

I stayed with Lynda the night of the race as I was not sure how I would get out of where I was staying as they were on the race route, to avoid that Lynda and I stayed together.
I had unpacked all of my stuff and put it in a pile so everything was ready to go.

When Sam and I were waking around Friday night (the night before the race) there were signs posted on the street posts that looked like this in preparation for closing the streets for the race.

The race is held on Saturday and not Sunday because the race officials did not want to inconvenience the geezers (which are the majority in Myrtle Beach) that go to church on Sundays.

On route to the Myrtle Beach Marathon

I have so much to say about my experience so I am going to post 3 posts, pre race, race day, and post race.

Thursday February 16th we headed to the airport EARLY and away we went. This tirp has been 4 months in the making/training.

Here is Sam and I on our flight from Thunder Bay to Toronto, Lynda is getting sneezed on and elbowed in the rows behind us.
I had never flown porter, the flight was good and short, before we knew it we had landed in Toronto on the island.

It was foggy and damp in Toronto when we landed, we had a 2 hour wait in Toronto until we boarded our flight to Myrtle Beach.

People watching is so much fun in an airport there are all kinds of people out there.
When we went through the security, I always get either felt up or wiped with the cloth, I must have the terrorist face.
We sat in the lounge and waited to catch our flight to Myrtle Beach, we were scoping out Lynda's seat partner as her luck was not in her favour this far.

I know what your thinking OMG Val your texting, Lyndas texting I'm just faking it, I couldn't figure it out if someones life depended on it.

After a short time we were back in the air.

There was some turbulence on our way to Myrtle Beach but the flight wasn't very long and so before we knew it we were there.

Here is the start of our vacation, yes that is someone hiding behind the palm tree.

3  DAYS | 9 HRS | 42 MINS | 5 SECONDS

      

Three days to go until race day, I can't sleep, the mileage runs through my head over and over...

I ran in the Manitoba Marathon but I have not actually ran 26.2 miles. 24.49 is the longest distance I have ran, this will really be a new experience for me.

Today is February 14th and I have started packing to go. I have put everything that I need to run in my carry on bag so that if the airline loses my baggage I will still have the running gear I am used to.

Here is the start of my packing, I am an over packer and always have been, I travel to Winnipeg often and I even pack outfits that I have not worn in a long time just in case I may need them, I never need as much as I pack.

I haven't worn much of this gear since the weather was much warmer, months ago. But I know this is the gear that will get me across the finish line.


We leave in 2 days for South Carolina, and before I know it I we will be back, and planning the next challenge.



Last Long Run

Today was our last long run before race day, 8 miles. And as per our usual it was very cold and the wind was blowing hard. We slugged along, this week our longest run is 4 miles. It is now harder to get out for the short runs because the mind thinks what's the point it's only 4 miles, but every step of training is there for a reason.
We leave this week and the closer it gets the more nerves I have. Here is a picture of my running partners countdown calendar to race day, the white paper on the side is covering up the Christmas tree, you can't read it but the paper says # of Days to Marathon.

7  DAYS | 8 HRS | 46 MINS | 41 SECONDS

 

7 days until the Myrtle Beach Marathon, this is going to be an adventure, my husband and I have never flown together so this is interesting enough and we have never been to Myrtle Beach South Carolina, so visiting a new place will be interesting. Throw in the Marathon and navigating the Expo, the Race, and the after party it is just so exciting. I found out my bib number today I am number 453.

I am getting so excited, I have done the training and am ready for the challenge. I will pack all of my running gear in my carry on in the event that the airline loses my suitcase, at least I will be able to run.

The weather forecast for the 18th is showers and 15 Celsius, this would be great weather, in 2009 they cancelled the Marathon as it snowed a few inches, OMG I have trained by running through snowbanks.

Soon enough it will all have been worth it.

 

Redemption Marathon

Less then 2 weeks until my redemption Marathon, Myrtle Beach Marathon 2012, I feel the need to tell my story one last time.

Mt first Marathon was the Manitoba Marathon 2011, I was so excited. I had trained really hard and was prepared for this challenge.

My marathon was cut short with 1.5 miles left to go, here is the letter I wrote to the Manitoba Marathon Association twice about my experience but never heard a reply.

To: Manitoba Marathon Association

            I am writing this letter to you to express my frustration and devastation at the experience I had at the 2011 Full Marathon.  I have been running for 3 years and I finished my first half marathon in Thunder Bay in September 2010 and had decided then that I would run my first Full Marathon in Winnipeg. I have family that lives in Winnipeg and what a great way to spend the weekend. 

I am a member of the Thunder Bay Metre Eaters and through great friends and determination I began training for the Full Marathon in February 2011.  Once a week at least I would be on the Manitoba Marathon website checking the ticker to see how many days were left, reading all the information provided on the website over and over including the rules of the race.  I can remember when the ticker on the website read 149 Days and then before I knew it, it said 5 days left to go and I set out to Winnipeg. Many runners from my running club the Thunder Bay Metre Eaters had headed to Grandmas Marathon in Duluth which fell on the same weekend as Manitoba, but I had decided to do the Full marathon in Winnipeg so I went to Winnipeg to run it by myself.

 It was a perfect day; I woke up June 19/11 and felt great, the forecast was looking good. I got all my stuff together and left my sister-in-laws house and headed for the start line. It was very well organized; bag check was easy to find and the start line was very well organized.  I was at the back of the group at the start line as I had planned just to finish the race. Next thing I knew the gun went off and away we went. It took me a few minutes to get to the start line, so as I crossed the starting mat I started my Garmin and away I went. I was thrilled, I had never ran in such a big event and I felt great. 

I had read and reread the rules over and over again to make sure that I didn’t forget anything and that I understood all the requirements I had to meet. I will just quote what your rules say on the website regarding closing of the course.

“2011 Manitoba Marathon will close at a pace of 14:00/mile. Rides back would be provided for all participants who have not passed Mile 21 by noon.”

I had read this rule over and over, so on race day my first goal was to get to mile 21 by noon. Now when I reached mile 21 on my Garmin which would be going by my chip time told me that I had at least 4 minutes before they were to close the course, which is a long time. When I was coming up to mile 21 the volunteers were just folding up the split time mat, I was confused by this as nowhere does it say that they are going by gun time, which in my opinion is unfair if you have started out at the back of the pack in the beginning and still have minutes to go. The gun start should only pertain to the front runners and this would be why the rest of us have chips.  According to my chip time I had made it to mile 21 by noon so I carried on, thinking great I met my first goal.  After this point was where the rug was ripped from under me.

I had made it to mile 24.49 and I was so excited, in my head I was finished.  I only had a mile and a half left to go. I had been running for 5:53 at this point. A police officer on a motorcycle came up behind me as I had crested the River Rd Bridge. He said to me and these are his words “You have to get on the bus” I then thought this is not happening, I just looked at him in disbelief and said “Are you serious”? He said to me “You have two options; option one is to get on the bus, option two is you will never run in Winnipeg again”?

As I got on the bus I was in tears, I was devastated. I could not believe this was happening. I felt overwhelmed with sadness as I took the so very short 1.5 mile ride back to the stadium. The bus had picked up a runner at mile 25 and 25.5 and tried to pick up a runner at mile 26, yes I said mile 26 and she refused to get on the bus and kept running.

I had met your requirements, no where does it say that you will get picked up anyways after mile 21, and if that is the case it is not clear in the rules and should be clarified so this does not happen again. I am devastated by what happened, I had set out in February 2011 to start training, race day was perfect and I met your requirements and you made me quit. It would have been different if I was injured or unwell (heatstroke) but I was in good shape and was headed to the finish line. I want to know at what time the River Rd Bridge was reopened, I hope it was within minutes or there would have been no reason I would have had to have been picked up.

Who ever made the time limit should also have a distance mark that if you are past a certain point no matter the time limit you are safe to finish. I’m sure the person writing the time limit rule does not know what it is like to work so hard for 6hrs only to be robbed of it with 1.5 miles to go. I have worked just as hard as the first place finisher, I’m sure they would agree that being picked up at 24.5 miles is appalling.

Up until the 24.5 mile mark I was having a great race weekend. I had picked up my race kit, walked around the Expo, I even bought a souvenir Manitoba Marathon t-shirt, long sleeve shirt and tank top. I was so happy to be there. My sister-in-law and her husband and I went to the Pasta dinner which was great.

I spent two days after the race in Winnipeg visiting and I can only describe how I felt by saying that if you have ever had anyone die that is close to you and every so often you get an overwhelming feeling of loss, that is how I felt.  I felt an overwhelming feeling of loss. I had all the battle scars of the race and no finish. I had chaffing and sore muscles but no medal, I was devastated.

I returned to Thunder Bay that following Tuesday and told my story to my friends and family and they cannot believe how unfair.  It makes me even sadder to hear the great stories from those that went to Grandmas Marathon and had a great time.

Even to this day I feel a deep sadness at all my hard work I did and nothing to show for it, by nothing that I could have controlled.

I am writing this letter so that this awful scenario does not happen to someone in the future, because it is hard to get over, I’m sure I’ll never forget it.

Here is a shot of my Garmin with the time that I got picked up by the bus and the mileage and a pic my sister in law took at the finish line, notice the time on the clock is the exact time that the bus picked me up.

Check out the times, is that weird or what....

Here are a few of my favorite shots,

My sister in law and her husband and I attended the pasta dinner the night before and had a great time.

 Here is my glamour shot the morning of the Marathon, I am not a morning girl, I was also trying to keep my nerves in check.

This was the first time I saw my sister in law, she was yelling my name and I was so excited at this point to see someone I knew it was great.

 I had been talking about the sponges they handed out in the race the days leading up to the race and here they were,  I had not been in race with sponges ( the small things keep me happy) they were my savour from the heat.

My Post Race Party!

Redemption Marathon here I come, Myrtle Beach 2012!

Out and Back

I cannot believe the weather today, it was +5 C when I got off work at 4pm. My running partner and I were not running today so I decided to go out on my own which I have not done in awhile since we started training in October for our Marathon.

I pulled out my i pod shuffle and it was dead so I plugged it in and had a cup of coffee while I waited for it to charge.
I got dressed in my usual running gear, my Winnipeg 10 & 10 shirt, yellow Sugoi jacket, water belt, camera, headband and mitts. Most of this clothing will be off 10 minutes into my run.

I ran from my house to the cemetery near by where I stop for a visit.

It is really nice in there with the paths and the trees.

During my run through the cemetery I passed by these stones on a child's grave, the angel in the front had caught my attention for being so unique, there is another angel  stone in the background but sadly the angel has lost it`s head.

Sometimes when I am running and I think that I could not take another step further and I feel awful, there are always those that are either no longer with us, who would love to be running or those that would do anything to be able to get up and just take a few steps. I enjoy running and will continue to run as long as I can.

I stop and visit then carry on my way.







By the time I get back home I am toasty warm, what a great run and amazing weather.

Happy Running!