Until then, however, I have some thoughts I'd like to share about marathons and traveling and running that wouldn't otherwise make it onto the A-list spousal recall blog. So for now, enjoy the B-list blog.
Body: Travel does interesting things to people. I'd like to say that each and every trip on an airplane is a learning a experience, but all I really understand is that I have no idea how my body operates when it gets confused about where it's at.
I had decided that running a marathon, for me at least, required a kind of normalcy that I feared traveling might disrupt. If things didn't happen exactly how I believed they should have in the days leading up the race--if something was off even in the slightest sense--I feared my performance would degrade as well. Marine Corps stood as the marathon to test this theory, and to test the notion of destination marathoning in the future.
The bad news: my body did not cooperate. Airplanes and airports and snacking and restaurant food defeated me again. All the wife's tales, homeopathic remedies, and coffee in the world didn't save me from the circumstances. The good news? None of it mattered. Despite giving my mind something supercilious to fret over, my system did not negatively impact my physical performance in the race.
Breakfast: It's been a tradition since our training for CIM in 2010 to have a serving of oatmeal as our pre-race meal. We've rotated additives from time to time, trying preserves, raspberries, dried cranberries, and lately, walnuts. It's an easy meal that doesn't fill us up, yet manages to last well into the final stretches of the race.
In order to continue that tradition in D.C, I had to divvy up servings of oats and walnuts into small plastic bags. Without flatware, I dropped our ingredients into hotel glasses. Without a stove top or microwave to heat the water, I placed the glasses under the drip system of the hotel coffeemaker. Voilà! Hot water, and the tradition lives on.
Bands: I recall them playing during CIM, and there certainly are some popular half marathons in the city of Sacramento that station musicians and pep bands at various miles along the course. The Marine Corps Marathon offered this as well, but it's worth noting that the regional flavor offered a far more diverse brand of entertainment.
Good old Sacramento loves its classic rock, so the bands on the course love to play versions of popular songs from the genre. I've heard more covers of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Running Down a Dream" than I care to count (once played by different bands at different places in the same race). But in D.C., given that so many of the tenants are 20- and 30-somethings, the tunes reflected another time and place altogether. There was the band covering "Vaseline" by the Stone Temple Pilots--covering it so well that I originally thought it was being played from the album itself; there was the all-girl group thumping some mean original songs out by the golf course near mile 14; and there was the banjo-heavy folk group on the edge of the mall. The music was collectively distinct, unique, and refreshing.
Another contrast worth mentioning is the difference in music played by the various marching bands who work along the course. East Coast high school bands are obviously part of a different musical rotation than band directors opt for out West. Yet these songs and styles weren't as distinct as the various college and university bands who proliferated the course. Under the direction of younger (and dare I say hipper?) band leaders, the music they offered didn't solely disrupt the monotony of running a marathon, it actually entertained.
Bystanders: In addition to the Marines who dedicated their mornings to chauffeuring and organizing, to handing out water, Gatorade, and fuel, the supportive fans made the race a memorable experience. Many held signs and posters, and some of these were quite creative. Some of the standouts:
"Stop reading this sign and keep running."
"You are the 1%, because 99% of us would never do it."
"Toenails are sooo last season."
"Worst Parade Ever."
Buddies:It was great to have Stephanie, Dan, and Sara involved in the experience.
Sara and her boyfriend Andrew hopped the metro through the District in order to catch our crossings and document the experience. She put together a great video of the run using a flip camera.
I was fortunate to also share the racing experience with three teammates from the Fleet Feet Sacramento racing team. Lisa, whose husband ran the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, ran the full. My buddy Brian, in town for a conference the previous week, also participated. Here we are warming up after the race:
In addition to diligently following Sara around town, Andrew, who works for a congressman, gave Stephanie and me a private tour of the Capitol. Here are a few shots from before and during the tour to close out the B-list.
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