Random thoughts about my Marine Corps Marathon

It was a beautiful day. Couldn't ask for anything better than 60 degrees and sunny. I had a classic race for me, fast out of the gate, fade in the back half. I finished in 5:18:33. Somewhere around the Capitol Building where Rosa Parks was lying in state, I lost my groove. I went from 11:00 miles to 12:30 miles. This would further deteriorate until I found myself being passed by a guy in a full body Kermit the Frog costume when I made the 25 mile turn near the Pentagon.

I started to feel twinges in my calves around mile 14, and I throttled back so I wouldn't hobble myself. This was a lesson I learned from my last marathon. Thinking back, this is probably an electrolyte problem as I lost a lot of salt in my traditional orange race day jersey. For the rest of the race, if I felt a twinge coming on, I'd stop and walk for a bit.

I will take a couple of weeks off of running and just take it easy. My feet are blistered and my quads are shredded. Then it's back to the roads.

You see a lot of things in the course of 26.2 miles. Here are my highlights:

• Fans with cowbells. I can't help myself. I had to yell, "Really explore the studio space." Leave it to me to use the most obscure line in the sketch. Fortunately, other runners around me picked up on it and yelled "More cowbell!"
  
• A guy with a couple of his buddies and their girlfriends were in a very isolated part of the course. The single 5th wheel guy had a sign pinned on him that said, "Inspriational hugs given here." I had to. I'm sure he wasn't expecting to hug a big sweaty guy. The ladies thought it was hilarious.
  
• I saw two people in Superman costumes. Tons of "Why don't you fly to the finish?" cracks for those two.
  
• A couple in matching tops with "Just Engaged" written in magic marker. I asked them, "Today? Congratulations!" "Last night. Thanks."
  
• Many people ran in honor of loved ones who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. I don't support the war, but I support our troops, by working for the day that they can be home and safe.
  
• Race organizers didn't really think things through in terms of the starting waves. There was a first wave of runners, a wheelchair and handbike wave and then the wave that I was in. The first two miles are uphill. See the impending problem? We caught a bunch of the handbike competitors as they struggled uphill and then they had to weave through us on the way down. Dangerous. Please rethink this, organizers.
  
• Clif Shots are the worst energy gels I've ever tasted. It's like a pouch full of teriyaki sauce. They were free and I was desperate, but the hell if I'm ever buying them.
  
• Another bizarre food hand out: cookies, at mile 22. Great, I'm dehydrated and running out of gas and you give me a free cookie?!?! There better be some milk at the end of that station.
  
• When travelling for a marathon, check late checkout times for the hotel. We had to checkout before I finished the race, meaning no post race shower for me. I ended up taking a towel bath in a bathroom stall in the lobby. That made for a fun plane ride home.
  

26.2 miles in my future

This Sunday, I will run in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC. You will be able to track me via the web or SMS text messaging by signing up at this link. I'll be wearing #22052. That's easily the highest number I've ever worn at a race.

They're expecting 30,000 runners. I will be very happy to finish in 30,000th place. I'm only running against myself, running not to find my limits, but to find my potential. Sometimes, it's hard to believe that I have gotten to this point in my life. A twenty two year old Nervda would have been stunned by a glimpse into a future where he'd be married, have a son and would be gearing up for his second marathon.

Running a marathon is an impressive feat. People say to me, "Wow, you must be really athletic." Not really. I'm just really persistant and stubborn. The marathon tests your will more than it does your legs. I'll see you at the finish, kids.

Endtroducing

I discovered DJ Shadow during one of my infamous recluse phases. I was consulting in the dawn of the internet era. Living in hotel rooms with a couple of books from Borders and a portable CD player. That was almost 10 years ago.

To me, Shadow is the closest thing we have to an abstract painter working in music. Anyhow, here is a link to a high school percussion ensemble playing a live cover of "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt"

What a Wookie!

Chewy always was a rock star. Leia doesn't look like she aged too well in the Fenway shot, does she?

The Cities that Have an Inferiority Complex Towards New York City Series

My friend Joe and I have a mayoresque bet going on. He was born into being a Chicago White Sox fan, the same way that I was born into being a Red Sox fan. We are not bandwagoners. It's about bloodlines. So, we're gonna wager up some Boston specialities vs. some Chicago goodies. I'll have to consult with my wife Jen (another Chicago native) to see what we'd want. My guess is Frango mints and popcorn from that place I forget the name of on Michigan Ave. Joe wants M.I.T. schwag and local microbrew root beer. Anybody know one? All I can come up with is Moxie, but God only knows what that actually tastes like.

I have a feeling that I may have to venture up to the northbank of the Charles for Joe. I don't trust our starting pitching. If we could find a time machine for Schilling and Wells and set it for 1999, I'd be making room for some deep dish pizza in our fridge. C'mon M.I.T. guys, surely you have something that can help in a basement somewhere.