So I did not get around to writing a blog for ANY of the marathons I ran in 2022 before 2022 actually ended. I guess I have a goal for 2023 now. Stay even slightly more on top of writing these things. Here are some brief highlights for marathons 39, 40 and 41.
#39: May 2022 in Eugene, Oregon
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| Bigfoot Homer |
This was such a cool marathon as Eugene, OR is known as "TrackTown USA." But for some, that particular area in Oregon is also cool because Springfield, OR, is said to be the "Springfield" of the Simpsons. The race course takes you through Springfield's main street and past some fun murals that are all over the town. My sister, who joined me to do her first half-marathon (woot woot!) is also a big Simpsons fan so we did walk around the town the next day to see all of them, or those we could find at least. And these are just the tip of the mural iceberg.
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| Stupid sexy Flanders |
If you want a flat course, this one is pretty level. The temperature happened to be great, and the sun stayed behind the clouds until the end, which was nice so it didn't get too hot. The best part of the entire race is finishing on the track of Hayward Field, which has hosted U.S. Olympic trials and the World Athletic Championships.
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| Finishers! |
Lots of energy from the crowd as you come in and your name comes up on the big jumbo-tron as well. Another great things about the finish was free (good) beer, and freshly made pancakes. It sounds weird, but IPA and pancakes isn't a bad combo.
To celebrate finishing marathons and half-marathons, we decided to enjoy some of the local wineries the day after the race. Our first stop was White Rose Estates. The employees were personable and knowledgeable, the wine was tasty, and the tasting room was really cool. Worth a stop if you're in the area.
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| White Rose Estates |
Stop #2 was Domain Drouhin. This place felt very French and the wine was delicious. Probably the best of the wineries we visited.
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| Domaine Drouhin |
Third and final stop was Argyle, known for its bubbly, so of course I had to try a flight of the sparkling ones. The tasting room was really cool, and modern, and they also had some cheese plates for purchase which was nice since we were starving, but probably #3 in the ranking of wine tastiness.
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| Argyle Winery bubbly flight |
You may be wondering at this point, why I have not mentioned having oysters. Well, oddly enough, I could not find an oyster joint open on a Sunday afternoon/evening in Eugene so I had to wait until we got to Portland for me to have oysters. My sis was a good sport since she's a vegetarian and tagged along with me. We went to a place that seemed like it had been around for a really long time, so it had to be good, right? The oysters were fresh and did not disappoint. I do love a good West Coast oyster.
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| Dan and Louis Oyster Bar |
And that was it for Oregon.
#40: August 2022 in Rachel, Nevada
This is a race I was supposed to run in August 2021, but got hit with COVID-19 the week before the race. The race organizers were kind enough to give me a partial credit towards the 2022 registration. So, the Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon allowed me to check off Nevada. This race can be summed up fairly easily. Horrible. Ok, maybe that is harsh, since there is a little bit of coolness factor on running a marathon in the middle of the night. But geez, it is challenging to work with when to sleep and when to eat with the odd timing.
Despite winning my age group (out of maybe 5 of us, but I'll take the win) this race was not fun at all. You catch a bus at around 8 pm from Las Vegas that takes you to the start line at the Little Ale'Inn. It starts at midnight and you run 26.2 miles one way (7 miles uphill) and back and then another way and back along the Extraterrestrial Highway. It's called this I guess because this road has the most UFO sightings. Runners are also warned to look out for cows. My first thought was, cows in the desert? Do the UFOs pick them up from Iowa and beam them down there? I didn't see any UFOs or cows for that matter, which was disappointing on both fronts.
Because we were running in the middle of the night and literally in the middle of the highway in the desert, you are required to wear lots of reflective things and a light. Which means you basically become a beacon to every biting insect in the desert. I didn't realize they had any biting insects in the desert but they do. I also now know what a windshield at night now feels like.
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Glimpse of the full moon.
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I did not partake of oysters after this one, as I spent most of the day sleeping since it was about 12 hours later when I got back to my hotel room at 8:00 am. Probably the only time I've been in Vegas and didn't go to the pool, catch a show or go to a club. So I'm officially old. And with that....Nevada, check.
#41: December 2022 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Kiawah Island is near Charleston, which is one of my favorite cities. As it was the holiday season, I tried to partake of some of the local holiday events, which included the Aquarium Aglow at the South Carolina Aquarium. Saw some lights and some sharks so can't complain too much, although it was a bit smaller than I was expecting. But I did learn some valuable information, which now that I know this, I'm surprised this doesn't happen to me more often than it does (I'm talking about getting pooped on).
I had an amazing carb-loaded dinner at Cru Cafe. I had a pork schnitzel dish, which was hearty and delicious. The staff was really great, even the kitchen team since I had a bar side seat to watch all the magic happening back there. Super cute place with phenomenal food. It was also good the next day post-race as well.
The course took place on Kiawah Island, which is home to a massive golf resort. The logistics were pretty annoying, since it was hard to find accommodations on the island, and even if you did, a shuttle to the start is still required. So you had to get to the parking area pretty early, but at least they had a warm building to wait inside since we were all there at least an hour before the start. And race-day packet pick up was another nice perk.
There were several "Alligator crossing" and "Beware of alligators" signs, which I suppose now living in Florida should feel more normal, but typically where I run, it's not so close to murky waters edges, like this course was. The morning started out a but drizzly, but that stopped early on, so the weather was pretty perfect for marathon running, with temperatures in the 50s. But I had a hard time warming up after this one. I tried to warm up from the inside out by having one of the free beers on hand. This race also has a pretty cool medal, if anyone is in it for the bling. Good colors, moving parts. What more can you ask for?
I did partake of oysters after this race, and went to Pearlz Oyster Bar. I had some oysters that I'd never heard of before, Low Tiders, which I think were from North Carolina, and Rocky Rhodes from Rhode Island, I'm guessing? Wherever they were from, they were all pretty darn good. I chatted with a plastic surgeon sitting next to me at the bar, which is always one of the fun parts of traveling to do these races, and when you go by yourself, (someone has to stay home with the dogs), it forces you to be open to chatting with random strangers either on the course, or at the bar.
And that brings 2022 running to a close. I started the year with West Coast oysters, and ended with East Coast oysters, with some French ones in between! I think I've only done a handful of short runs since that last race in early December. The motivation has been a little lacking for me lately, so hoping with the new year, I have some renewed motivation to get out there, try and bring my speed back up (because I've gotten soooooo slow), and keep plugging away at these last 9 states. I'm not sure what's up next, but I can be sure that I'll write about it several months after it happens.
The end of the year leaves me very grateful for surviving my first year of marriage as of yesterday (it was actually really easy as my husband is great), and also surviving my first hurricane in Florida, Hurricane Ian, which was massively devastating to so many in the area where I live. I am so grateful to be physically capable enough to join my colleagues and the community in volunteering to do the hard work of helping those less fortunate clear out their damaged homes. It was a very humbling and heartbreaking experience. I hope 2023 brings the rebuilding and healing to those who have been impacted by this storm and all the other craziness going on in the world today. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2023!
This is a race I was supposed to run in August 2021, but got hit with COVID-19 the week before the race. The race organizers were kind enough to give me a partial credit towards the 2022 registration. So, the Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon allowed me to check off Nevada. This race can be summed up fairly easily. Horrible. Ok, maybe that is harsh, since there is a little bit of coolness factor on running a marathon in the middle of the night. But geez, it is challenging to work with when to sleep and when to eat with the odd timing. 
Despite winning my age group (out of maybe 5 of us, but I'll take the win) this race was not fun at all. You catch a bus at around 8 pm from Las Vegas that takes you to the start line at the Little Ale'Inn. It starts at midnight and you run 26.2 miles one way (7 miles uphill) and back and then another way and back along the Extraterrestrial Highway. It's called this I guess because this road has the most UFO sightings. Runners are also warned to look out for cows. My first thought was, cows in the desert? Do the UFOs pick them up from Iowa and beam them down there? I didn't see any UFOs or cows for that matter, which was disappointing on both fronts. 
There were several "Alligator crossing" and "Beware of alligators" signs, which I suppose now living in Florida should feel more normal, but typically where I run, it's not so close to murky waters edges, like this course was. The morning started out a but drizzly, but that stopped early on, so the weather was pretty perfect for marathon running, with temperatures in the 50s. But I had a hard time warming up after this one. I tried to warm up from the inside out by having one of the free beers on hand. This race also has a pretty cool medal, if anyone is in it for the bling. Good colors, moving parts. What more can you ask for? 
I did partake of oysters after this race, and went to Pearlz Oyster Bar. I had some oysters that I'd never heard of before, Low Tiders, which I think were from North Carolina, and Rocky Rhodes from Rhode Island, I'm guessing? Wherever they were from, they were all pretty darn good. I chatted with a plastic surgeon sitting next to me at the bar, which is always one of the fun parts of traveling to do these races, and when you go by yourself, (someone has to stay home with the dogs), it forces you to be open to chatting with random strangers either on the course, or at the bar. 
The course took place on Kiawah Island, which is home to a massive golf resort. The logistics were pretty annoying, since it was hard to find accommodations on the island, and even if you did, a shuttle to the start is still required. So you had to get to the parking area pretty early, but at least they had a warm building to wait inside since we were all there at least an hour before the start. And race-day packet pick up was another nice perk.
