Day #3 of the Triple. Sleep schedule all messed up from poor sleep hygiene, i.e. drinking too much then napping after the races only to wake up at midnight wide awake. Boy was I stiff at 2 AM; and I somehow managed to gain 3 pounds in just the last 3 days- I'm blaming muscle edema. Drove to Seattle Center very early to get a good parking spot, brought some charts along (AS IF....) as well as ice, blister shield, and more food. Fitful nap in car then decided I better head to porta potties before they ran out of TP.
Very quickly I met up with LilyandJohn.net.
John is doing race #2 to qualify for MM. Last check there were 1988 Maniacs. Lily was the one who got me to join less than 2 years ago. Run 3 marathons in 3 months? Are you crazy?? .... Perfect day for running. I started running with them and realized my legs didn't feel at all like I had run over 54 miles the past 2 days. They actually hurt less running than walking. Still, was afraid to turn on the gas just yet. I could feel the chafage burning (for those of you who have not experienced chafage for yourself, wrap a tight, wet elastic around your chest and rub it around for 4.5 hours. Repeat for 3 days in a row) but I figure, I could rest the next few days and let it crust over. Or maybe the rest of my body will finally achieve full amphibian status.
It has come to my attention that some of you may not know what BQ means, it means "Boston Qualifier". The Boston Marathon is one of the best and most storied marathons in the world (I can tell you, having run it bandit as my first ever road race in 2005) but so popular you have to meet speed criteria (see http://www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/Qualifying.asp) or raise thousands of dollars in charity $ to get in. If you qualify based on time criteria, that means you have a minimum level of credibility as a "real runner", as opposed to a "slow fat jogger" to paraphrase RB.
Saw many familiar faces in the early out-and-back portions, i.e. fast people going the other way, including Eric Gierke (of Orange Julius) and Janet (from Jungfrau) as well as the Prez, busily snapping photos but easily hanging by the 3:30 pace group. Later I ran into other Triple runners, runningguy, Larry Macon, and Monte who just had ankle surgery a few months ago, even glimpsed Bob Dolphin who is 80 years old and just finished his 456th marathon/ ultra, his 18th of 2009. He PRd (3:00) at age 58 and was still breaking 4:00 at the age of 73!
Once I got to past Arboretum and Interlaken at mile 22 I knew the end was in sight. Finished in 4:37:25 which is only 2.5 minutes off last year's time. Vvn (Maniac #780, whom I'd met when we got stuck on Snoqualmie Pass on the way back from the Yakima River Valley marathon) saved me some soup and hot cocoa, and her husband shot this photo:
80+ miles in 3 days (16+ hours running). I can't fathom how some people run 100+ miles in under 24 hours. But I can fathom doing a quadzilla next year. Or maybe a 50 miler? Or dare I utter it, an Ironman? For now, NO ICE BATH. JUST WILD TURKEY.
Signed, Maniac #748 (aka slow fat ULTRA jogger)
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