Huntsville Marathon

I weaved through fancy running machines at the Margaret Maddox YMCA with my eye out for flowing silver hair. It was the coldest night of the season and Jim said he wanted to run 8 miles on the treadmill. Eight miles, just 3 days after his marathon.

He wasn’t hard to spot and I circled around to wake him from the trance.

I said, “Hey.”

He said, “Hey man,” which was followed by an awkward pause while he tried to turn down his iPod.

I poised myself for confrontation.

In my best Kosmo Kramer impersonation, I screamed, “Look at you!”

“What?,” he replied while coasting along at a 9 minute pace.

“You’re snake bit!”

He smiled and said, “What do you mean?”

“Your not even thinking about Ironman! You’re addicted to marathons!

He was a kid who just got caught sneaking brownies off the top of the fridge.

“You may be right.”

I said, “What would Kevin think of this behavior?!?” (in reference to our fellow Ironman training partner).

Jim said, “He probably wouldn’t care.”

I just shook my head and said I’d see him after my swim.

These running people are crazy, and I’m not sure what it says about me . . . but I get it. Something about simply putting on shoes and getting after it is really quite scintillating.

Jim didn’t forget about Ironman, but he is totally smitten with the glory of marathons. And let me tell you, nothing gets a woman’s attention like salt piling up on your forehead while plodding down the road for 26.2 miles! I mean, it’s kinda the same attention you get from picking your nose, but hey, if it feels good, let it rip.

He didn’t qualify for Boston at Huntsville, so now he is all in on New Orleans, and I wouldn’t bet against him. This has just become personal and Jim has a reputation to keep.

But, let’s get back to me!

I did, in fact, go for a swim last night. I lollygagged through 1,500 yards and decided that since I am still into triathlons, I would jump on the spin bike. I peddled for 20 minutes and talked myself into ending the night with a nice little one-mile treadmill run. One solid hour of three disciplines and let me tell you, I feel like a million bucks today.

Tonight, it’s back to the road for a 4.5 miler with the East Nasties. I’m not sure if Jim’s running, but I can assure you I will be seriously contemplating dropping the 1/2 and signing up for the New Orleans full. After all, I kinda like the idea of qualifying for Boston myself.

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In other news, Ironman Wisconsin team member, Daniel, has a special announcement coming out soon. He came over last night for a top secret video project I hope to finish tonight so he can post on his blog.

Some reflections on the Rocket City Marathon.

Yes, this is the one and only Bill Rodgers who was a former record holder for the marathon and won NY and Boston. According to his Wiki page, was not only a hero, but secondary fuel for the running boom of the 1970’s. That guy he’s hanging out with in the Mexican poncho and glasses is my friend Roger who just finished his first 26.2 mile race in 2012. As you can imagine these two had a lot in common and talked for hours.

Below is the “infamous tunnel” that every runner had to deal with twice. I heard from several (well, one runner, Roger) that for a few seconds it became “pretty dark” and “it was hard to see if you were stepping on lizards or pine needles.” Jim was also fascinated by the narrow runway, specifically whether or not his Smart Car could make it through. We decided it could, but I don’t think he tried.

This is Cara just before the finish and what she claims is a marathon PR. I haven’t done the research, so I am hesitant to confirm.

There is Captain Jim warming up in his post race cape after his “failure” to qualify for Boston. He looked strong as an ox at mile 15, but couldn’t quite keep the pace and backed it down to save energy for training. His next shot will take place in New Orleans. Make sure to give him a pat on the back. He loves that, especially while running.

Now, these guys I’m not sure what to make of. Well, actually, I am. They are good dudes and friends who temporarily lost their minds while winning over hundreds of runners in the process. Don’t be fooled by their quiet demeanor, either. They dished extreme vocal support to unsuspecting runners, nearly to the point of startling them off their stride. Seth and Daniel, marathon spirit team number one.

Roger channels his inner Bill Rodgers as he approaches the finish line. Shortly after the race, Roger told me, “You know, Bill was right. He said as you get near the finish line, remember one thing . . . You will never win a Boston or NY marathon, but you won’t win the Rocket City, either. Just make sure you follow the pace group with the sharpest looking ladies and everything else will fall into place.”

It doesn’t matter how fast you are, entering the dreaded Rocket City tunnel brings out the nervous smile in everyone. Especially when you’re this tall and the tunnel ceiling was meant for middle school kids.

Truth be told, it’s scenes like these that make me wonder why I drive 2 hours to take pictures of marathons. But then again, something here is remarkably awesome, especially when chants of “USA” ring in the background.

Here’s a shot of Roger going too fast at mile 2.5.

Let’s make no mistake, watching a marathon is exhausting. Thankfully Meg grew up in Huntsville and knew the back roads that kept us in front of the runners. Her family was also gracious enough to cook a mind blowing pasta feast that propelled East Nasty runners to excellent showings at Rocket City.

Tag: Huntsville Marathon

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