You'd think I wouldn't have waited 6 months into a pandemic, where there is nothing to do all weekend, no races to train for, remote working, etc. to write a blog post for marathons I ran in October 2019 and March 2020. But yet, I've continued to put this off. Puzzles, Netflix binge watching and home organization seem to have taken a priority. And here in Florida, we've still been able to bike, run and walk around outside at a safe social-distance.
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2000 pieces everbody!
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So I guess I'll start with the first, last race I've not shared.
Let me take you back to October, 2019. To a time when there was no COVID-19, the country wasn't in mass-protest, travel was a thing, hands were soft and alcohol free, recycle bins weren't overflowing with wine/beer/liquor bottles, and politics were normal... well maybe not that last one. I'm not taking us back that far. But there were still marathons! My race-cation crew of Sangeeta and Bethany were along for the half-marathon, and we all met up from our respective cities in the Gateway to the West, St. Louis for the Mo' Cowbell marathon. Don't get confused, this race is not named as such to encourage race spectators to bang those dang annoying instruments more. It was named as an homage to a great skit on SNL with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken. There were unfortunately still plenty of actual cowbells assaulting my ears along the race course.
So when running in St. Louis, carb-loading at the Anheuser-Busch brewery is required, I'm pretty sure. We checked that off the list post-expo and post-tacos at Mission Taco. And we of course did the obligatory visit to the Arch.
If you are looking to do a race in Missouri, this is one that is well organized, the course is nice and the best part is that they had no lines for the post-race massages (at least by the time I finished) :). Sangeeta and Bethany had also scoped out the best post-race vendors with the best swag.
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| Pre-race. Fresh and smiling |
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| Post-race. Less fresh, still smiling |
We did follow our post-race tradition of oysters. We brought our own bubbly, thinking we would just be charged a nominal corkage fee by the restaurant. For those of you in places like Chicago where BYOB is prevalent, then you are familiar with the typical $5-$10 corkage fee. We didn't really give it much thought, but then got the bill and was shocked to see it was $25! Of course, our key negotiator Sangeeta got the bartender to reduce it significantly, and we rewarded him with forgetting to sign the tab (we called back later once we realized it).
And with that, another state and another marathon checked off the list.
Now let me take you back to the 80s (or March 2020 in Little Rock, AR). This race was a make up from the year before, when I was stuck in travel hell and missed the race. Race directors were kind enough to let me defer my registration to this year, which I feel like was a blessing in disguise, since the 2020 theme was...drumroll..... the 80s (compared to the Space Odyssey in 2019). Who doesn't love the 80s?
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| Me, I love the 80s |
I felt a little bit like I just snuck this race in (which was on March 1st) just before the country went into stay-at-home mode. But when we can travel again, and you just so happen to may your way to Little Rock, I recommend driving a bit out of the way to Hot Springs. Great hiking, great hot springs and great beer. I spent the day there pre-race.
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Hiking in Hot Springs National Park
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Flight at Superior Bathhouse Brewing
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| When you forget flip flops and you have to buy them at the bathhouse. But you get to keep them forever! |
So basically, I'm pretty sure people run this race simply for the ginormous medal. I mean, that is why I did it. It truly is probably the best medal I've ever received, in both size and detail.
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Race day 80s vibe
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Perspective
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I celebrated state number 35 on my journey to 50 with, you guessed it, oysters. A little joint called Flying Fish. Good seafood, good beer and great kitsch.
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| Oyster (shells) and beer |
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| Kitsch |
And that was the last marathon I've done. Normally I would be training to run another marathon this fall, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to run another one. I know they are still happening in some places, but I've not thought too hard about doing another one this year. Honestly, it has been kind of nice to not be training so much. I've been able to do more cycling, more strength training and I've taken up pickleball (when in Rome). I do miss the travel though, which I think for me has been one of the hardest parts of all this. Because no travel means not seeing new places, and not seeing my friends and family. But just like a marathon, this pain is temporary. And let's just hope for a big shiny medal at the end of all this! My thoughts are with all of you who might be sick, who have lost loved ones during the pandemic or who may be struggling financially. You're stronger than you realize, and we'll get through this. Be safe!
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