Medoc Trail Marathon 2013

                                                     "Among many we are strong."


I started training for this race with an 8 week taper. I took 2 weeks of of running after my last event then started training. 2 short/slow CC Pacer Kids runs and a long run on the weekends, 1.5-2.5 hrs.  No real commitment to this race as the goal is to have fun. Then with 2 weeks to go I thought about racing this one. I told people about how I never race, always just run and have fun. Then I changed my mind with a few days before the race.

I took the week off before to rest and recover....ha...freaking....ha....lets spent 36 hrs bending, stooping, laboring awkwardly building a deck. This is proper and completely logical (The deck turned out very nice, the hard work paid off for that.)

By Thursday my thighs were burning, knees swollen and underused upper body muscles hurt. Perfect. I'm sick in that way now. It doesn't surprise me any more the suffrage one can achieve when that's a goal.

Jenny and I showed up about 3 Friday, few people were there yet. We located your tents in group 3 area. Nymph and Merlin were joining us later. I met Irene, who was cursing Frank Lilly for not being there, even though he promised someone would help her set camp up. I offered to assist her through encouragement in her abilities. Irene is 67 and just finished Chicago Marathon the weekend before. To date that was marathon 108. I told her it was fully in her capabilities to set this tent up. Frank shows up and starts to help. If this scene was written for a weekly comedy sketch then Emmys would be won. I kept giving my 2 cents at the friendly fire banter being hailed from the tent pad.  My weekend had been made and it wasn't even dark yet.

Our friends arrived and after a short while we walked to packet-pickup. A very well stocked bag with Medoc tattoos.  Let's eat. We all had our own meals planned. Eating by the fire enjoying the groups company. Then the stories ensued. Broken bones, epic fails, random mis-judgements, oooh the painted paths can seem endless.

Feel off to sleep about 10 to crackling fire and distant laughter.

Woke up race morning to a chorus of zippers. Why, when the weather is good, your coming right back and no one has the time or interest to go in your tent do we have to seal the tent tight. Save the zips for when you really need them. Eat, bathroom, drink, prepare and leave the watch behind(new race strategy). A short walk to the start greeting all the other friends you drove up that morning and 30 seconds to go. Bathroom, 10 seconds and steal last kiss from Lawst, Conch Shell start.

Seeing how I didn't have a watch I just ran along pretty mindlessly. Walked the steepest part of the "mountian" jeep path. Stayed insight of Merlin for the entire first lap. He was running his first Marathon and looked very good through the first 9 miles.
Walked at the beauty berry bush on the mountain again. Eating and drinking was fine. Felt happy through the next few miles. Had a great surprise when crossing the bridge Lawst was on the other side . Stopped for another kiss. Yeah. Tripped and landed on my bottle squirting half the contents into the woods. Save. Little dirty but sound. Lost sight of Merlin. Continued with the same group for the next few miles before hitting AS1 in the field. I made a quick refill thanks to Dave Steeps son. I had coached him during Pacers. That was awesome. Grabbed camera guessing we had missed the rain.

 SDB Medoc was not going to take me this time. Gave a fellow racer my last 2 salt pills and wished him luck. He finished 45 mins after me.  Walked the entire way up the Mountain this time. It amazes me how little time you lose when taking short walk breaks. I hung out at the AS on the jeep road and had some SODA.  Running from AS I was Rambling the fun of not wearing a watch. I am so proud of my performance so far. 6 more miles to go, hey take it easy down this hill and rest to save some for the last 3 mles

   Splat    wack   kaboom    

Upside down and side ways.  3 runners stopped, even the lady in front came back. I got pulled to my feet and was asked 'how you feeling'? I think I broke my finger. 'You don't need that to run' said one of the runners. He's right, lets run. 
adrenaline is a motivator like no other. By the time I hit the bridge for the last time my index finger was as big as a frankinfurter. Whatever organ digests adrenaline did so and dumped into my gut with a nasty foul taste. My legs were feeling good and continued to move along passing a few runners in the last 3 miles. Walked the final turn and saw my time, 4:10

The Trailheads represented well achieving a 4 for 4 finish. Medals and glory. Thanks to the race crews for a wonderful race experience.