I've been reading several blogs from the Fox Cities Marathon, but I just can't seem to get mine going because it was a very drama-less race for me. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I was 4 minutes off last year's PR of 3:07, and really have no good reason for that. Sure I could blame the Forerunner for going into Personal Trainer mode so I didn't know what my pace was. And I could sing the blues about that damn Glipizide diabeties medicine I was put on the week before the race.
But that wouldn't be fair to either the Garmin corporation or the pharmaceutical industry. Simply put, sometimes under near-perfect conditions I suffer from a lack of mental focus. Like a race horse without blinders I start looking around, and forget why I'm there: to get the best time I possibly can. But then again, what's really so bad about that?
So I will focus on the 5K, which went very well, despite a few glitches. Just as they were making an announcement thanking so-and-so for the PA system, it cut out completely, along with the timing system and the giant Finish arch deflating. Somehow they lost all their power, and I saw several people trying to get it all back up with one extension cord. Finally they dropped the megaphones and got back on real power. By that time though, the starting area got pretty chaotic. I ended up further back than I should have been, right amongst the dog walkers and strollers. So there was lots of weaving at the start. Finally I got some clean air and started loosening up a bit. I was rather amused by the 75 volunteers wearing the same shirt so I uttered "looks like a whole church." "It is!" said the enthusiastic water lady.
I was feeling pretty good by the time we hit the trail, so I knew I could kick it in at the end. Unfortunately, not being able to see the finish line without the arch I started the kick too early, and missed my PR by 15 seconds at 39:22 (though I'm sure my weaving at the start didn't help matters there.) Still, the shoe-shaped medal was worth the price of admission. I was 61 out of 110 in my five-year age group.
As for the rest of Saturday, I took a bus tour of the full-marathon course. I thought that the windwill in Little Chute was only symbolic, but nope, it was 100 feet tall! I started to feel sort of woozy on the ride, so I needed food, soon. Thankfully I had some pretzels to hold me over, but then I tried to go to Noodles and Company and it looked like a riot. I attempted to drive somewhere else in the Fox River Mall area (impossible on a Saturday) and my car made me wait 10 minutes. So I ended up walking to this place called Serious Burger. Indeed it was, in taste and price! I had the Farmhouse Burger: Nueske's Bacon, sunny-side up egg, garlic mayo, and onion rings, 12 bucks! Still, any port in a storm.
Finally the car settled down and I got to Half-Price Books where I found a Sinatra set that turned out to have 7 songs I didn't have for $2! A treasure. Eventually I got to my motel, and made plans to meet Michelle for dinner a few doors down. Damn wifi wasn't working at motel, the only thing that marred the visit. Medium pizza cost only 2 bucks more than my bleeping burger. Took my picture by the tank at the American Legion. A nice time was had by all.
