Yakima Marathon...and a PR!!

Short version: 5:31:58 by my Garmin. Which also recorded 26.5 miles (to be explained in the long version). That is a 9 minute and 10 second PR! The toes...the toes are trashed. The new shoes feel better on my feet than any other shoe I've had as far as support goes, but the toe problem is alive and well. I have a blister on the right big toe that covers the entire pad and has my toe swollen to twice it's normal size. Other toes suffered as well.

Long version: The Other Michelle, Eric and I rode together. We left about noon yesterday and had a good trip over, including a beautiful drive through the canyon to preview the course. We attended the Marathon Maniac Reunion and the pasta feed. John "the Penguin" Bingham was the guest speaker and he was hilarious.

We were eating breakfast in the hotel lobby at 5:00, on the first shuttle to Ellensburg at 6:00. This was a point-to-point marathon from Ellensburg to Selah via the Yakima River Canyon. In a nutshell, this is a great race. The canyon is closed for the marathon, the support is great, the organization is superb and the scenery is stunning. If you like geology, this is the marathon for you. The road has quite a camber in spots, but I managed it by finding the flattest points and running there - explaining how I added 3/10 of a mile to my journey.

Melissa, Michelle and I started together with Michelle leaving us at the first walk break. Melissa and I chatted away as we ran a loop through farmlands on the way to the canyon. We were amazed to see a gentleman running the marathon towing a tire. We found out why when another participant asked him, in a very loud voice, "why the hell are you doing that?". He is training for one of those sled-pulling competitions where they try to see who can pull the most weight. He passed us when we stopped at the first aid station for a porta-potty break, and we were glad because the sound of the dragging tire was one of those sounds that would eventually drive you nuts. Melissa and I cranked out the first three miles in 11:10, 11:11 and 11:06. The fourth mile included the break at the aid station and came in at 13:40. Our paces ranged from 11:09 to 14:54 after that. We pulled out the 11:09 on a long downhill, and the 14:54 on a 1.2 mile up hill. This course is mostly downhill, with the 1.2 mile hill hitting at mile 22. After the crest of that hill, there is another long stretch of downhill, then maybe a half-mile flat to the finish.

Highlights of the run were Melissa doing a cartwheel for the race photographer somewhere in the middle, picking out the houses we wanted to buy in one of the few populated areas of the canyon and then planning our daily runs from there, and Melissa using her mad skills to move her race number from her vest to her leg - while running! There was also the point where we could hear music blasting - we thought it was coming from one of the fishing boats in the river, but couldn't quite pinpoint it - then Melissa noticed the speakers way up at the top of the hill - the other long, long hill on this course. They had huge speakers that sent the music blasting out into the canyon and carried us right up the hill. I forgot to mention this - about 20 minutes into the run, my phone rang. I ignored it, then the message tone rang. I knew it would beep at me till I looked at it - after all I've experienced this on other long runs. So I twisted my phone around and checked to see who it was. It was Jenny. I stuffed the phone back in the pack and continued. I finally listened to the message on the drive home - Jenny said she called because she could just picture me digging for the phone, then listening to the beep, then she had everyone at the post-run coffee say Hi - I recognized Rick and Rob and a few others - it was funny and sweet. (For those who don't know, I carry a phone in case my heart gives me trouble and I need help). (And, apparently, for my friends to call during races!)

I had one bad section, where I actually started thinking I might have to catch a ride in - it was about mile 12. My entire right foot was in pain. The toes and the forefoot were burning and throbbing, and pain was shooting over the top of my foot. I stopped, slung my foot up on the guard rail, and re-laced. I didn't admit it here last week, but with the weather warming up, I'd picked up a couple new blisters, just from a three mile run in the evening at the track. I was a little worried going into the marathon with sore toes, so I took the laces out of the bottom hole to relieve a little pressure. I think it was letting my forefoot move around too much. I re-laced it, tied it up and took off. Instant success. Other than the trashed toes, the pain was gone. I also popped a few ibuprofen here.

The best part of the run was at around mile 24 when I saw Eric in the distance - running out to meet us and run me in. It almost makes me tear up when I see him coming toward me at these races - his support and having him by my side in those last few miles means the world to me. That means he ran 31 miles today. As he got closer, I gave him a wave and saw him look down at his watch, then look back at me, pointing to the watch. I knew at that point that I was going to PR. Eric pointed Michelle out to us - she wasn't too far ahead, so Eric and I encouraged Melissa to catch up and run with her, which she did. Michelle then encouraged her to go on, and she ended up finishing about six minutes ahead of Michelle, and 11 minutes ahead of me.

On the last downhill, I had my very first cramp while running. It was that troublesome right foot again - the cramp started on the top of my foot and went up to about an inch above the ankle area. I'm pretty sure that I was laying my foot down funny to compensate for the blisters, and it was on the downhill where I was stretching the foot forward. I had to stop to walk it off and knew that 5:30 was slipping away. I tried to run once more, it came back so I walked again, then it finally cleared up and let me run the last 3/4 mile in.

Sonya was at the finish line, then I saw Jane and Ray, Melissa and Michelle as I came through the chute. It's wonderful having friends at the finish!

We showered up at a local Junior High then headed for home. Unfortunately, for the first time, I was plagued by intestinal issues on the way home. It didn't stop us from having pizza, but for a while there I wasn't sure we'd get out of the parking lot. Michelle had problems pre-race, and Eric a little bit post. Eric and I don't usually have this problem, so we've been wondering if it had to do with our pre-race meal. I guess we'll never know. I know many of you were wondering about the soy milk - this is not the first time I've used it, and I drank two full bottles with nary a problem in the race, so I don't think that was it. Other than the foot, this was the very best I've felt in a race, and the most energized - probably having to do with the downhill slant of the course.

The other weird thing is that I have a one-inch bright red stripe across the top of both feet and both sets of toes. With my birkenstocks on, it looks like a sunburn, but it is from my shoes and socks. I had on a pair of fitted socks, and one experienced ultra-runner I talked to said she has had that happen from those type of socks before. It's almost a welt - she thinks it is the fabric and the sweaty foot. Hmmmm... Eric wants me to try some think smart-wool socks, so I guess that's up next.

I want to congratulate Michelle on a very successful first marathon, and Melissa on her second. It was a fun trip. Pictures should follow in a day or two. In the meantime, I'm going to go do a little first aid on the toes!

MM#402, signing off from the land of Maniac Reunions, where the canyons are stunning and the toes are swelling!