Kansas City Marathon Race #13

Kansas City, Missouri
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Time: 4:36:34
Overall Place: 783/1297

Last year I ran the Des Moines Marathon and I met a lady who had just run the Kansas City Marathon on the day before and was running Des Moines the following day.  When I asked her about Kansas City her response was that she wasn’t expecting it to be that hilly.  Well, there are hills and then there are hills.  I have run a lot of races and have never run a course that included this many hills especially at the beginning of a race.  Someone told Heidi, who was running the half marathon that the first six miles are really hilly and if you can make it to ten miles you should be okay.  This set the backdrop to marathon #13 in the quest to run till next year’s Manitoba Marathon.  Did you notice I left out the amount?  Lets’ just say twenty something all within the fifteen months.  I’m having too much fun.

It was nice to get back on the road again driving to our destination of Kansas City.  We left on Thursday and spent the first night in Omaha Nebraska.  We usually leave around noon so that Heidi can finish her work day and we drive to the race destination or as close as we can so that we don’t have to drive too far the next day.  On this trip we left about three hours for the next day and would arrive in the late morning.  This trip included Heidi, our oldest daughter Jennifer and me.  Heidi was going to do the half marathon and Jennifer and I would do the full marathon.  I was looking forward to this trip; yes there I said it again, because this time I would get to run with Jennifer as we planned to run together.  Jennifer had not done a marathon since last year so she wasn’t sure how it would go.  Training can all go very well but you never train for the last six miles of a race.  That is where the race really starts.

We arrived at our hotel around 1:00 and were able to get in to our room which is always nice because check-in is not until around 3:00.  They asked if we wanted to be on the lower or upper floors.  Jennifer right away said upper so we ended up on the 35^th floor.  What a view it was. 

 

 

 

We settled into our room and then headed down to the Expo which was in the same complex as our hotel.  The hotel I had booked was a Sheraton Conference Center.  I only booked one night here mainly due to cost, but it is really nice to be near the start finish line.  I thought it was quite reasonable but the first and last night were pretty much free so it was nice to keep the cost down.  The Expo was quite simple with no speakers so we picked up out race bibs and toured around a bit and then left. 

 

 

It was getting to be later in the afternoon and I like to eat a nice carb meal around this time. We ventured out and were going to take a bus to a place called the Plaza which was about ten minutes away in another part of Kansas City.  Across from the bus stop we noticed some shops and realized that we had what we needed right by our hotel.  Actually this small mall was across the street at the Westin Crown Center.  Here we found some really cool shops and a food court, perfect.
The evening came and we actually had some options as to what we wanted to do.  It just so happened that the Toronto Blue Jays were in town to play the Royals for the first game of the baseball playoffs and Jennifer checked to see if we could maybe go to the game.  We soon ruled that out after we found out that the tickets available started at $109.00 for the standing room only.  Sure, just what we want to do before a marathon, stand for four hours.  However, we did find out that there was a large party going on downtown, which was about a mile away in the power light district.  It was an area enclosed in a city block surrounded by restaurants. 

 

 

 

 

Best of all it was free.  When we arrived there was a large screen with thousands of Royals fans.  The atmosphere was electric with excitement as this was the first game of the playoffs.  It was very hard to show excitement for us since we were Blue Jays fans.  Something you don’t want to share too aggressively unless you want to leave in an ambulance.  We hung around for an inning and then Heidi and I walked back home to the hotel.  Jennifer stayed a little longer. On our way back to the hotel we did manage to stumble across an old building known as Union Station which is the old train station. We got a history lesson from the security guard which we very much enjoyed.  We went back to our hotel room and settled down for the evening.  At least I could watch the game on TV.

The next morning I got up at 5:00 for the 7:05 race start, Jennifer of course took the later wakeup time.  It was a dark morning with a temperature hovering nine degrees, perfect for running.  The Marathon Maniacs wanted to do a group shot at 7:40 at the start line so we made our way to the line.  Have I mentioned lately that I love a hotel close to the start finish line?  It is most convenient to be close, easy to get to the start and then back to the hotel for the quick shower before we leave and no parking worries.

Anyway we got our picture done and the race went off at 7:05.  They started the half marathoners with the full marathoners so there was probably about 6,000 people all starting off together.  Jennifer and I got stuck way back around the 5:15 pace bunny but it really didn’t matter because the start is based on chip time.  It doesn’t matter when the gun goes off.  The time doesn’t start till you cross the timing mat.  We started slowly but yet there was enough space around us so we could go at a nice pace.  The course started on a downward slope, followed by two corners and then our first big climb of the day. 

 

 

This was followed by another downhill and then another big climb, get the picture.  This was the course for about the first six miles.  After that it flattened out somewhat followed by more hills in the back of the course.  What impressed me about this course was some of the neighborhoods that we ran through.  The streets with overhanging trees just starting to show their autumn colors and mansions on either side were truly spectacular.  We ran quite well for about the first twenty miles and then Jennifer hit a little bit of that runner’s wall.  After a couple of miles we finished off strong to the end.  There was a moment in the race that really stuck with me.  It must have been around mile 18 or nineteen there was a girl maybe in her twenties running beside us.  All of a sudden she darts over to give someone a hug, turns out it was her father.  It was very touching when she left after the embrace that he started yelling encouragement to her and telling anyone who would listen that this was his baby girl.  I always marvel at the emotions that these races bring out in people.  He was so proud of her and she was just beaming.  I feel a lot of the same things when I can run with any of the girls and Heidi and that it is a very proud moment for me when we can do something like this together.  It really brings us all closer together as a family.

 

 

Jennifer and I finished the race together and we picked up our food.  It worked out great because Heidi could come with us and she had a back pack so we could stuff as much as we wanted in this backpack. 

 Sometimes the food is really good and this was one of those times.  In fact, they had Chick-fil-A as one of their sponsors and if you’ve never had one of these chicken burgers they are to die for, really.  Since I can’t eat after a race we really stuffed our bag full and headed to our hotel.  We had just enough time to shower, stretch and get out of our hotel room and hit the road.  Our plan was to drive to Sioux Falls and then home the next day.  It is really different running a race on a Saturday because 90% of all the races are on Sunday so it really messes with your mind.

It was another very successful weekend trip and we had a really good time.  I forgot to mention that Heidi did complete her half marathon and actually felt pretty good.  I couldn’t help but think of her when she was running and how the hills were going to impact her.  She did just fine and really enjoyed the race as well.

 

I should also mention here that I really appreciate those that have taken the time to support my cause in running with a purpose and making a donation to Siloam Mission.  To date we have raised $11,394.21 and let me just add here that every penny that is raised goes to Siloam Mission.  You are truly making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. 

It is amazing how much the body can do.  I have run 6 marathons in 7 weeks and when I planned to do this I wasn’t sure how my body would react.  I am a little tired this week but I know that I now have a three week break before heading to Indianapolis, and I feel very good.

Good Life Fitness Victoria Marathon Race #12

Victoria, British Columbia
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Time: 4:33:20
Overall Place: 773/1202

Thanksgiving in Victoria BC, this would be the backdrop for my 12^th marathon this year.  I was really looking forward to running this marathon, as if you haven’t heard me say that before, because it was also the first international reunion for the Marathon Maniacs.  In case I haven’t mentioned it before, the Maniacs is a club of about 24,000 members throughout the world of likeminded runners.  The headquarters as they like to call it, is in Tacoma Washington.  They are made up of really two disciplines, those who run marathons and those who run half marathons, also known as Half Fanatics.  You can also belong to both clubs and be called a Double Agent.  This is a group of people who are all passionate about running and yes bordering on nuts, they all belonging to a very well organized and fun club, and yes I am a member.  What great way to spend thanksgiving if I can’t spend it with my family.  Actually the best part of the weekend is that I got to spend it with Wendy and her husband Paul, and for those of you who don’t know, Wendy is my middle daughter. 

They came in from Calgary to spend the weekend with me.  Wendy did run the half marathon because that is what we do, we run.

I need to mention here that it was a very interesting week to say the least highlighted by a radiothon hosted by Siloam Mission and put on by 95.1 CHVN.  They had invited me down to Siloam to be interviewed live from noon till 1:00.  It was my opportunity to share with the listeners what I am doing, why I am doing it, and why they should want to support Siloam Mission.  It was quite overwhelming for me and of course hindsight is always 2020.  After I left the interview I thought of all the things I wanted to say.  Now I have an opportunity to express one of those thoughts.  I remembered my race from the Twin Cities the week before the support of the crowd along the whole marathon route.  There were absolutely thousands of people lining the entire course and it was incredible the amount of energy all of these supporters were giving throughout the race.  They didn’t have to be there, but it meant a great deal to the runners. It was a little thing that meant a lot.  It is just like supporting Siloam Mission, it can be a very small thing that someone can do, but it means so much to the less fortunate of Winnipeg.  By running I feel like I am making a small contribution but I am doing what I can.

The weekend started out for me on Friday flying out to Victoria via Vancouver.  I put in a half day of work starting at 6:00 in the morning and leaving at noon to catch the plane at around 2:20 and arriving in Victoria at the hotel around 8:00.  Wendy was already there so it was nice to see her on my arrival. Paul didn’t come till after midnight so I didn’t see him till the morning.  We had a harbor view from the 11^th floor of our hotel and what beautiful view. 

 

Victoria is a very beautiful city especially around the harbor.  Lots of boat traffic coming and going with tourists coming from both Seattle and Vancouver.  Victoria also has a lot of ocean views as you move out of the downtown and this was where a lot of the marathon course was run.

On our walk to the Convention Center I found this leaf.  I've never seen anything quite so big.

 

On Saturday we had a day all planned out.  In the morning I wanted to go to the Expo and pick up the race number and find whatever other freebies we could get and then in the afternoon I wanted to hear some of the speakers that this race was putting on.  The evening was the official reunion dinner for the maniacs and half fanatics.  The Expo gives off a certain kind of energy because there is a lot of excitement from people doing their first marathon to those doing their 500^th.  Runners are generally very positive people and this atmosphere is electric and contagious.  The speakers were quite good this year.  The first speaker was a lady in her fifties who spoke on running into your 50’s, 60’s and beyond, very interesting and informative.  The second session was a group of runners known as ultra-marathoners. 

 

 

These are people who go way beyond running the traditional marathon and go to test the limits of their endurance.  These runners will run distances of 50 miles, 100 miles and beyond as well as 24 hour races mostly through trails.  They are amazing athletes and prove the human body can do amazing things.  The third speaker was Darrel Fox who is the brother to Terry Fox. 

 

 

He told of the journey he and Terry took to raise money for cancer as he attempted to run across Canada.  His trek was cut short in Thunder Bay as he succumbed to the very disease he was raising money for.  What an amazing story and legacy he left in order to fulfill his dream to end cancer.  It is still going now stronger than ever.  Here is one individual who had a dream and he took what he had which was his love for running and turned it into something great.  The dream lives on.

In the evening as I mention I met a whole room full of Maniacs and Half Fanatics and we shared a meal together.  What a lot of fun talking to people as crazy as I am, each one of them having great stories about all of the marathons they have run in their lifetime. 

Pre race shot of some of the Maniacs

Angie and Patti  They did a great job of pacing.

Prez Steven Yee  The Maniacs also have a great sense of humor. Photo Bomb

 

Pre race stretching

 

The next morning was race day and I felt pretty good.  Wendy’s race went off first at 7:30 and mine would follow at 8:45.  It was probably the latest start for a marathon I had ever done so it gave me a chance to sleep a little longer.  After Wendy went off I was able to hang out with Paul for a bit and then we headed over to the start line for a group photo with all of the other Maniacs that were running.

 My plan was simple for this race.  There was a runner that I have been following who was also involved in the club and organizing part of the reunion.  Her name was Angie and it just happened that she was also the 4:30 pacer.  I felt that this was a realistic goal for me as I had just run a hard race the week before and I had no interest in going out that hard again.  They called this course a “rolly polly” course with small hills throughout.  Well, it was hillier than I expected and the course began to wear on me.  I did however have a great time with Angie and her pacing partner Patti and the group of other runners that had joined.  What a beautiful course and what a beautiful day to run a race on.  Well I stayed with the group until mile 23 and then slowed the pace down to take a few more walk breaks.  Now I said that the hills began to wear on me and I believe they did.  I also checked the elevation gain and it was only about 480 feet of vertical gain which is really not all that much, so I can only say that I must have just been too tired from the effort the week before. 

 

  As usual, I came down the home stretch to a waiting Paul and Wendy, posed for my usual pictures, and ran to the finish line where I received my, oh, so precious medal, got to love the bling.

Back to the hotel we went and I took my traditional ice bath, rolled out my muscles and stretched.  After this I was ready for a good meal and we headed down to the Old Spaghetti Factory.  They have one in Victoria as well.

The evening was nice because we could just relax and rest from a long tiring day and watch the Blue Jays and Canadians on TV.  This is a must do with Paul as these are his two favorite sports teams.

The next morning I woke up at 4:30 and caught a shuttle to the airport in time for my 6:50 flight to Vancouver and then home to Winnipeg.  What a great weekend it was being able to spend time with family doing something I really enjoy and I didn’t have to drive a mile to get there.  I love travel by plane.  It is so much more enjoyable.  Now to do some power resting, because I only have six days to rest up before the next race in Kansas City.  We leave on Thursday and come home Sunday and yes we are driving.  That’s okay I have two drivers with me.

Twin Cities Marathon Race #11

Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Time: 4:15:49
Overall Place: 4124/8579

The question I have always asked myself is what makes a marathon grow in popularity over another marathon.  I know that how you treat runners and what kind of swag you give away can determine whether there are 500 runners or 8500.  Surely the course doesn’t make that big of a difference.  Anyway, it is a question that I will continue to wonder about.  There is one thing for sure, the big marathons are very enjoyable and I was looking forward to the Twin Cities Marathon as my 11^th stop on the tour.  The TCM had about 11,000 registered runners in the marathon and the 10 miler had about 10,000, so this was quite a large event.  I just want to also point out here that even though there were 11,000 registered there were only 8579 finishers.  Not everyone who starts is going to finish.  This was the second time running the event.  The first time was two years ago when Heidi, Jennifer, Wendy and I ran the full and Stephanie ran the 10 miler.  We enjoyed it the first time and it was special because Heidi had completed her first full marathon.  It made it all the more special to run this race again.

Just to make things a little more interesting, we were watching the news out of the Twin Cities and it was broadcasted that a group known as the Black Lives Matter (BLM) was going to protest and stop runners from reaching the finish line at about the 26 mile mark.  The race organizers sent out an email later in the week that they had worked things out and that the runner’s safety would come first and the race would go ahead as planned. 

This year we asked my sister in law Carla to join us since we had made arrangements to stay at her brother and sister- in- laws place in Anoka which is just north of the city. 

 

I love not always having to drive

We left on Friday and planned to be there in the later part of the evening.  The trip out was eventful because I got to do something that actually highlighted the entire weekend.  I could have gone home and the trip would have been a success.  I love White Castle. 

 

 

 

It has been years since I had one of their delectable sliders and I knew where there was a White Castle just before our stop.  I had myself a couple of burgers and picked up a T-shirt which I will proudly wear.  What a way to start the trip.  We arrived at our destination and were welcomed heartily by Ernie and Joyce.  It was nice to see familiar faces again. 

I just want to add a side note here, another question which I have pondered for a long time.  There are two lanes on a divided highway, right?  Why do people feel they need to drive in the left, which is a passing lane, below speed limit?  This lane is for passing and letting cars merge in to traffic. Yet, I keep running across people who feel this lane is a leisurely traveling lane or they try and pass people at the same speed as the people in the right lane are going.  You know what I’m talking about.  Anyway, there’s my rant for the day.

On Saturday morning Heidi and I had planned to go to the Expo down at the Saint Paul River Centre which by the way is attached to the Excel Energy Center where the Minnesota Wild play their hockey games.  This expo is one of the largest in the country and there is lots to see.  We enjoy a really good expo because everyone is giving out lots of freebies, and who doesn’t like a freebie. 

 

 

They also had a speaker series where they partner with the Mayo Clinic and present topics that are related to running.  I enjoy these and can usually learn a lot.  The one interesting thing about this even is that they do not give out a shirt before the race when you collect your bib.  In order to receive your shirt you must finish the race which they then call your finishers shirt. This is not done too often but I really like the concept.  Who wants to wear a shirt for a race that you never finished.  Not me!  After the Expo we headed back to our host family, but not before stopping at, you guessed it, a mall.  Heidi actually found herself a really nice coat for the winter very reasonably priced, and I made ten new friends.  A group of students from India were trying to purchase coats for the first time in their lives and they thought I would make a great sounding board and they came to me for help.  I try and stay away from making purchases in the US because our dollar is not worth nearly as much, so the exchange really kills you.  In the evening we had a very deliciously prepared spaghetti dinner which was very much appreciated.  We had a wonderful visit and then it was off to bed.

As I mentioned this event has a marathon and a 10 miler.  Both races start in downtown Minneapolis and end at the state capitol in Saint Paul.  I had tried to register Heidi for the 10 miler but it was done by lottery and Heidi did not get in which meant that Heidi would drop me off and drive to Saint Paul.  I know the Twin Cites very well because I spent almost a year working there.  Heidi didn’t know it quite as well so was very nervous about the drive.  With the GPS, and knowing that she had almost 4 ½ hours to get to Saint Paul , her chances were more favorable to get to the finish line.

My plan for this race was quite simple, run!  Nothing complicated about that.  After all this was my 11^th marathon for the year and I just needed to run from one city to the next.  I didn’t really have a plan except to enjoy the race. 

 

 

 

The day was beautiful with temperatures around plus 7 at 8:00 in the morning when the race began.  It’s amazing when around 10,000 runners take off down the road all in hopes of coming across that finish line 26.2 miles away.  It’s what’s in between that is the hard part.  There is a reason they call this race the most beautiful urban marathon in America.  The first eight miles you go around four lakes and then down streets with big shaded trees. 

 

Stately mansions on Summit Avenue

 

 

The next section was along the Mississippi and then across a bridge and back down.  It is really up in elevation along the Mississippi and down Summit Avenue which have the stately house of Saint Paul and to the finish on the grounds of the state capitol.  I ran the race very conservatively taking walking breaks at the water stations and along some of the uphill sections.    My time was a bit faster than normal but I continued to run within my comfort level.  I knew this course and also know that from about mile 19 to about 23 there was a lot of uphill.  I actually felt quite comfortable during the uphill sections and recovered quickly to finish strong.  I usually come in at around 4:25.  This race I caught Heidi by surprise coming in at around 4:15 .I was very happy to see Heidi at the sideline because then I knew she made it there safely. 

I had mentioned the BLM at the beginning that they were going to try and block the race.  Well, they were pretty much a non-factor.  They were present and made themselves heard but they did it the right way by not disrupting the race.

Another highlight that makes this race so beautiful to run is that the streets are lined with supporters the entire way.  Other races you might get pockets of support on the sidelines.  Not this race, it is lined the entire way. 

 

You can’t help but be inspired by all of the people cheering you on and high fiving.  It was truly enough to lift you to a faster pace.  As soon as I finished the race I realized that we had not made arrangement to meet.  This is a big site with thousands of people and now we had to try and find each other.  We did it quite by fluke and were very happy to have found each other. 

 

We made our way back to Saint Paul downtown where Heidi had parked and went back to our host family home.   Oh yeah, I also got my medal for finishing and my finishers shirt which I could proudly wear.

We spent one more night in the area so that Carla could spend more time with family and we were able to meet some friends for dinner.  What better way to finish off a good day of running and a great weekend, with Famous Daves.  This is one of my favorite restaurants and we had a great time visiting with our friends.

The next day we packed up and headed for home.  Only one more week till the next race so I need to recovery quickly.

 I received an email from Siloam Mission later that day letting me know that the total amount of money raised so far came to $10,144.21.  It humbles me to know that we have raised that much support already for Siloam Mission.  I look forward to continuing this journey to see how much more we can accomplish.  What an honor it is be a part of this journey.