The Little Rock Marathon Race Odyssey...COMPLETE!

The Reward for Being Miserable.

And Cheryl and I both survived it!   Did it rain?  Yes!  Was it cold?  Yes!   Was there wind?   Yes!   Did it HAIL?   uh...  Yeah!    And Cheryl managed to finish the race with 8:52 minute mile pace.   Not bad for someone under trained, 10 lbs over weight, Old, and Female.   Given the conditions,  I would count this as a WIN for Team Allenbrite.   She also placed 5th in her age group.   That is pretty good for a Marathon distance.  And Yes!  It really did hail on the course...  Hail!   Frozen chunks of ice coming from the sky.

Early morning rain. 

But let us begin from the beginning...  Er..  This morning.    Rain!   It was raining and not in a misty foggy way.   It was a steady soaker.  Things were not looking very good.

Inside the Staging area.  Waiting for
the Bathrooms.

We skipped the Shell Station for our Donut and Coffee day starter... because Arkansas does not seem to do convenience stores like... well   everywhere else in America.    I managed to get a cappuccino and Cheryl found some diet coke... But that was it.   So much for a warm fill up before the race.

We discover a secret Port-a-jon near
the back. 

Once inside the race area.  There was only 2 bathrooms for 6000 runners!   And they did not let us go upstairs to the other bathrooms.    Better hope you did not have to do anything that took longer than 5 minutes.  At other races,  the lines for the Port-a-jons can wrap around the perimeter of the staging area.   And they almost always have several dozen. 

The Rain begins again.  

We found ONE near the start line.  There were others on the other side of a wall,  but there was no easy way to get to them.    However,  Cheryl confirmed that MOST of the port-a-jons were located ON the race route.   Meaning.... you could go while you were running.   I guess that beats going in some one's yard.   But that did not make my life as a spectator very easy at the start.

Almost ready to start.

She looks Cold. 

The rain was a on again -off again thing.   It would rain,  and then stop and blow cold wind.   Cheryl dressed to keep dry over keeping warm.   Even with my Gore-Tex,   I eventually got cold standing outside for 4 hours.  But Gore-tex does break the wind and keep you mostly dry.   Cheryl knew she could not run in her tights, since the start temp was 38 degrees.  So,  at the last minute,  I was to take her pants and coat from her so she could race in shorts.   A bold Move! 

Where is Cheryl? 

On the bridge above the Start Line.

I had to run around a building and climb a bridge to get her at the start.  I thought I had missed her, but we found her after carefully studying  my "crowd shot" pictures.  It is always fun to play "where is Waldo"  with Cheryl being the target.

Like a Waldo Book. 

The race wove back and forth through the city.  It was a great race to experience Little Rock.   AND   Best of all, I go to see her at several points along the route.   Early on at mile 2.

Mile 5

Cheryl keeps the coat.

Then at mile 5.

Mile 9, Cheryl refuses the beer. 

Then at mile 9...  Where they had Bathrooms and Free Beer Samples from a local brewer.   Cheryl did not sample any, however:   Saying that the smell of the hops was  not something she wanted to mess with on the run.

Mile 11,   Cheryl hands me her
sunglasses.

I had to find the lens that fell
out.  Lucky me,  I did! 

I asked her several times if she was good with her jacket.   By mile 3 you normally hit your peek inner temp and are ready to throw cloths off just to maintain a cool running temp.  She eventually gave me her wind breaker at mile 14.

Where the Pack Separates!

Mile 26.  I almost run the remaining
.2 miles.   BUT... I'm too slow. 

Cheryl finally gives me her rain coat.
Mile 14

At mile 14,  the half marathon folks separated from the full marathoners.   Out of the 6000 or so runners, only 1500 went on to complete the full marathon.   In that group...  four women in the age group of 40-45 were faster than Cheryl.   Perhaps they did not have to deal with a polar vortex where they were running.   OR they are just lighter, younger, and faster.   Either way, No age group award for Cheryl

Cheryl with the Bundle of
Goodies!

And the HUGE, heavy Medal.

But who needs an age group award when the FINISHERS MEDAL is so big and heavy, it feels like an anchor around your neck?  The Arkansas marathon finishers medal brags that it is the largest marathon metal in the U.S.   I was not very impressed with the colors.   With all the stuff they try to cram onto the medal, it almost seems like a chaotic mash of kitch.   However!

Looks kind of "BLA"  Doesn't it?

It glows in the dark!

Until you turn the LIGHTS OFF! 

And it has moving, spinning parts. 
For the Kid it all of us. 

The Glow in the dark paint makes it.

Ok,  Reverse what I just said.   It is just plain cool now.   Yes,  I'm that shallow that a glow in the dark paint can win me over.    Why?  Because ...It Glows!     In the Dark!   And that is just plain COOL!

Cheryl was surprisingly mobile after running 26.2 miles.   She still has all of her toe nails.  Only a couple of blisters, and a bit of a rub on her left ankle.   Even though her hamstring is sore,  she was still able to walk.   Oh!  And before I forget,  I tried to run the last .2 miles with her.    She beat me.   I guess that says more about MY shape than it does about hers.  Maybe I should try to run a little more and bike a little less.   ( And stop eating so much!)

First Ray's,  Then Tee's...  Now
SHARKS! 

Fish and Chips!   Post Marathon
Food at it's Finest.

Speaking of food!   We wanted to see of the south knew more about Catfish than I did as a Fisheries Biologist and Alaskan Chef.   They DO!   Leave it to a DIVE called Sharks Fish and Chicken to show us how to do Catfish Nuggets and Fillets.  I can only guess that the reason the catfish tasted good is because of the freshness.

Can they do catfish better in the south ?

Cheryl seems to think so. 

 That is a guess.  Because the breading is nothing grand,  Not spicy, and the the only dipping sauce they had was ketchup!  Still, for fried food at a dive.... after a Marathon.  The fish and chips were pretty good.   I was impressed!    (I should have asked how they kept the catfish from tasting like mud.)

Little Rock Marathon is added
to the list. 

Sticker Ceremony for Subie. 

She could not wait to put the new sticker on the Silver Bullet Subaru.  We almost did not get the sticker.   We realized it only at the last minute when Cheryl saw it at the Official Race Merchandise area.  Now we can claim another marathon completes.   Along with another State.( Arkansas)  Another Season.  (our first WINTER Marathon)  And a new area of the Country. ( the SOUTHERN part of the country.)   One more state and we can claim the entire Mississippi drainage as our area of Operation.  And A seventh Marathon to Cheryl's growing List.

Cheryl is very happy to mark another
one on the list.

5 stickers.   7 Marathons!  

I'm not looking forward to the Trip home tomorrow.   First of all,  the Hotel we are staying in is great.   But mostly,  while we have been experiencing rain and wind,   Iowa has been threatened with snow and more cold!   The roads were clear and dry on the way here, but they may be treacherous for the way home.   Meaning:  It could take several additional hours longer than the already Long road trip.  But I have  all day to get home.   Drive safe and steady to arrive alive.... Or so they say. 

So basically,  the second part of MY marathon will begin tomorrow.  Wish us luck!