The road ends at the 2010 Humpy's Marathon...sort of.

First of all, I am knowingly aware that I am far behind on my 2010 Trampathon Abroad postings, and my wife reminds me that I am well behind on our planned bathrooms and downstairs renovation. However, autumn is rolling in and before you know it, I'll be snowbound here in the house catching up on those two to-do things. So what's up with the title of this post? I believe I mentioned in a prior posting that I was going to back off distance running (marathons specifically) and begin to diversify my fitness training.  Well, this year's Humpy's Marathon (which is my 8th straight Humpy's)  is my last marathon for the foreseeable future. That's not to say I have given up running...no way!  I just plan to dovetail shorter running distances with weight training, swimming, and biking...in hopes of participating in next year's Eagle River Triathlon (it would be my first) with my 12 year-old daughter Hannah.  Maybe my wife Marian will join us...that would be cool!

The 2010 Big Wild Life Runs were pretty special this year, as a number of friends ran one of many offered races (5K, Half Marathon, Full Marathon), each having its own main corporate sponsor.  I along with  Trampathon Bob Bowker, Mark Schroeder, and Mike Brandt (a CA friend I ran the Dublin Marathon with a few years ago) ran the Humpy's Marathon.

Most marathon events kick things off with a runners Expo, where you pick up your running bib packet, visit with other runners, hear guest speakers, and shop around for bargains at exhibitor's tables. Well, our expo really didn't have any of that, with one exception.  The expo organizers brought in Jeff 

 
Galloway (U.S. Olympian and running icon) and Bart Yasso (Chief Running Officer of Runner's World Magazine) to the expo, to speak at the pasta feed, and for Bart to be the guest finish line announcer.  My buddy Mike Brandt (in the photo standing next to Jeff) looks on almost bored but it's never boring talking to Jeff.

Saturday, I went to the pasta feed at the newly constructed Dena'ina Center with Bob and Mike.

We loaded up our plates and started to dig in. A couple joined us at our table and they looked very familiar, Mike thought so also. As is my nature, I started to drill them with questions about who they are, where they lived and what marathons they ran...and behold, they (Bill and Barb Grass from Texas) were on the very same Dublin Marathon tour Mike and I took with Marathon Tours and Travel a few years ago. 

Well, the flood gates opened with us sharing memories from that great trip. All that was missing were the pints of Guinness!  How strange and wonderful at the same time.

On to race day...the lonely downtown Anchorage starting line and some morning sunshine greeted us.   It has been very wet here in south central Alaska so it wasn't surprising when the sun soon disappeared and downtown Anchorage was shrouded in fog. Yes, that is a moving dinosaur puppet out there beyond the starting line.

But, Bob, myself and Mike stayed relaxed and ready for things to start rolling.

Others running various distances were also ready to go: my wife Marian and friends Neal and Jon running the 5K, friends Judy and Mary Rita running the Half Marathon, and Mark also running the Full Marathon.  This is where all the good, warm, and fuzzy things stop and the pain and misery of running a marathon (badly) begins. The following photo is of Mike and I after we finished the marathon. If you notice, no one else is around.  Where did all the spectators go?  Why are the organizers tearing down their equipment?  Where is the famous Bart Yasso announcing our names to the hordes of spectators as we cross the finish line?  Well, it's because we weren't able to finish under 6 hours and who in their right mind is going to bother to hang out in the cloudy rainy weather and cheer on some slug marathoners across the finish line...let me tell you, no one!  Heck, I wouldn't. That's OK, we got our finishers medals (my 38th marathon and Mike's 98th) and they can't take that away from us.

We may look happy and relaxed but we weren't.  Mike and I had a hell of a bad run...my slowest ever and one hell of a way to "retire" from marathoning.  To start things out, I had tough times catching my breath beginning at mile 8 and cramps in my two calf muscles starting at mile 16.  I peg-legged ran from there to mile 24.5 and then walked until I saw the finish line.  Trying to save face, I decided to do the Tin Man run the last 50 yards.  Upon crossing the finish line, I received my medal and then yelled out in pain as my calf muscles seized up one final time. Beyond a doubt, this was the most grueling marathon I have ever run.  I also learned from Bob and Mark that they also had their slowest marathon times as well...must have been something in the air.  Oh, I forgot to tell you.  At mile 11 I had to take a detour in the woods to get around a female moose blocking the route on the Coastal Trail.  So, do YOU want to run a marathon?

At the big BBQ Marian and I hosted for our friends after the races, Mike put things into perspective...he said that he and I, being prior open-heart surgery patients, should just be happy to be here...OPA!

Blog title photo: Normandy Coast