Marathon #22 was Vicious

When you wake up in the morning and it's raining outside....pretty heavy.....and it's dark outside....pretty dark......and it's cold outside....pretty cold......who in the world wants to go run a marathon in that stuff? Well Sunday morning was just that. I really thought that rolling over and going back to sleep would be a better idea......but noooooooo! I had to get up.

52 degrees, heavy to light rain fall and winds around 20 mph was sure to make a really ugly day for a run. I always do great at the J&A Shamrock race but today I felt that just finishing would be acceptable. Facebook already had people deciding not to run it because of the conditions. Blah.....I got ready. Tried to figure what to wear. I really don't have rain gear that would work for 26.2 miles.

I bundled up, wore a trash bag and my wife dropped me off at the race so she could go on to church. I asked for prayers.....is it acceptable to ask for prayers for a self inflected run on a cold day and to miss morning service for it? I'll let you answer that one on your own. I did make it to even services that night.

I found a place in the stairwell right near the start line to hide out for a while beforehand. I chatted with serval other refugees from the cold and windy frontier talking about the normal pre-race developments. I try to be outgoing and encouraging to the others......I guess I can consider myself a veteran now. It is always good to share why I'm running so many marathons. Run Eugene Run. I can't wait to get my shirts made. One by one I bid them good luck and to have a FUN RUN..... Yeah right.....fun? How so in these weather conditions.

Well five minutes to start time and I jump out of the concrete cave and hit the restroom. Good news....it has stopped raining. Still cold and windy but hopefully the running will keep me warm. The race route has become a familiar one and I know where each of the hurdles will lie......that is always helpful. Unfortunately no soldiers out today at Camp Pendelton.....I didn't expect any. That is always a great boost to give them all a high five and thank them for their service. There were two.....I don't blame them for not coming out......it was crazy cold.

Back over the bridge and turn the corner at the boardwalk and headed straight into the wind. Before I was running between a nine and ten minute pace......with this headwind I slowed down by several minutes per mile. It was just rough. No choice but to keep running. I was going to be facing these winds for over ten more miles.

At this point I was running pretty strong. Probably faster than I should be but I was worried about the weather and the cold. I felt it was better to get in as much time as possible before it started raining again. Funny......it never rained again until right after I finished the race and had hopped in the car.

Push push push. My breathing was rough. I saw the 4:45 group pass me......REALLY!? I was running that fast? And then the worst......I thought I might be able to squeak out a sub 5 hour race as well as I was doing.....or at least a PR which would have been below 5:09......but then I saw the 5:00 pace group come up beside me at mile 19.......CRAP!

I ran with them for several miles and tried to focus my mind on maintaining the pace. I was just getting really tired. I kept pushing....kept running....maybe. But they slowly pulled ahead of me.....that is always the saddest thing. At mile 25 marker I reached the 5:00 mark.....so close. A little more push and I would be done. I turned the corner back onto the boardwalk around 37th street and I knew I only had a few more blocks. I could see King Neptune waving me in to the finish line far ahead. I picked up the pace to push these last few feet.....a good sprint towards the end always makes one feel accomplished. I finished......5:16.....I guess not bad for the weather. My second fastest marathon. Once again I do my best here at the shamrock.

Looking up I see my wife, daughter, grandson, my son and daughter-in-law all there cheering me on and congratulating me on the finish.......one of the best feelings of the day. So glad they came out to watch. 

Home now.....no food.....just warmth......I need to get warm and climb in bed. So I do.

That's my day my friends. 22 marathons in 26 months. Yes crazy.....but if I can do this with diabetes......you can do much more.

Have a fun run....until the next time

Eugene Thompson

Run Eugene Run

Dragon.....no Draggin'

I have been really draggin' ever since my marathon in New Orleans. I ran something like 85 miles in the month of January (that is an exaggeration) and in February there were only 13 miles. 

That stinks! Maybe I could blame it on the cold weather. Maybe I could blame it on the snow. Maybe I could blame it on my treadmill. Oh yeah, every one of those miles were on a treadmill. Blah. Maybe I could blame it on my body being tired. Maybe I just get blah sometimes and don't feel motivated to run. That is diabetes for you. 

So an update, my blood sugar numbers have been fantastic. That is great news. Now I'm also between 197 and 201 pounds. That is great news. And my shoulder feels like it needs to be chopped off. That isn't so great of news. 

Not sure what the deal is but it has been killing me. Didn't fall on it, didn't pull on it, it didn't pull on me, didn't yank, crank, prank or anything else. Shoulder just hurts. Not so much when I run .... Just during everything else. So when in doubt give it a Cortizone shot. And take a handful of ibuprofen every day for the next two weeks. Blah blah blah. Sure, we will see. I've tried adjustments and massages and it still hurts since October. I should have asked for some Cortizone for my knees. 

With all that being said I went out this morning and ran 6 1/2 miles in the snow and rain. And it felt great! However my glasses did freeze up a little bit. First they fogged up in the fog turn to condensation in the condensation turn to frozen sickles. Try running in those kind of goggles!

I need to keep up the running over the next two weeks to stay loose to be ready for the One City Newport News Marathon. Then the week after that will be the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach. That should get me up to about another 85 miles this month. 

So what do you say my friends? Are you ready for a run?