a rainy St. George #14
It rained for the first time in 26 years on Saturday when I ran the St. George Marathon. It was my departed running buddy Bob's fault, I am sure. This was only the second time in 32 years that it rained and it was the first time in my 14 years of running it. I had told Bob to give me some kind of sign to let me know he was there. I am sure the rain was his doing. It rained the morning he died and it rained on all of us in 2007 when we did the Boston marathon with him in his earlier stages of Lou Gehrigs where his voice worked although it was softer and his arms worked but his lungs weren't the best. His disease was slowly eating up all of his muscles, but we finished.
I think he knew I would like the run in the rain anyway. After all it was St. George - my favorite marathon of all. Anyone can run when it is sunny and beautiful. And as my spouse says, I may not remember any of the other 13 St. Georges I have done, but I will remember this one.
I met Suzanne at 4:45 AM by the corner where the buses carry us to the start on the up past Veyo. I had slept pretty well but as usual, set 3 separate alarm clocks. It felt warm and we figured that the rain would catch us later. But as we waited, a few drops hit us and in the bus, I had flashbacks to the bus ride to Hopkington where the wind shield wipers were going really fast to keep up with the rain. At least this was not a cold rain like it was in Boston. The bus was filled with marathon talk - how much people trained, how far the bus ride seemed and was this marathon really all downhill? Nope was the answer to that one, but I didn't want to seem like a smart aleck person. I pitied the first time runners who you could pick out because they were dressed in their singlets or cute little running outfits, not believing how cold it would be at the start. I had my same sweatshirt, and the same warm up pants that I wore out of superstition, for every single St. George.
We got off the bus and they were handing out black garbage bags, which we thankfully took and put over our heads. It was about 5:30 am by this time and we had 90 minutes till the race started. We headed for the porta potties. I did not hear anyone complain - runners, for the most part, are a hardy breed - we run through rain, broken legs, sore muscles and even Lou Gehrigs.
I was telling Suzanne about my system for assigning miles to my friends and family members as we started out at 7am. She liked that idea so we each remembered a person or two at every mile marker. Here's my list:
1 - Siggie - my "aunt" who lives with Barbara Jean and makes the best roast beef.
2 - Billy - first born son who had run this with me 4 times - our best time was 3:34:36.
3 - My dad - who hopefully was watching up there somewhere - wherever you go when you die.
4 - Dan, second born son who is in New Orleans and has an interview for medical school. He informed me a long time ago that he would never run a marathon, but we will see. Ray, my alcoholic 51 year old brother, who is so far gone he is never sober - but he also has done 4 marathons in his better more sober days.
5 - For everyone who couldn't be here - like the Amy's, Ramona, etc
6 - My mom, who says "when are you gonna quit running? you are too old".
7 - Deb because she has 7 in her family and admitted to having sex with 7 men before she got married, which astounded her kids when they were having some frank pre-death discussions with Bob.
8 - Sid - my running buddy who is 83 and has done 50 marathons and loved this mile when he used to do St. George - and my first born, Kseniya who used to come down there and drive me around afterwards - And Regina, Bob's caretaker - 8 was popular and in the middle of a hill that goes on forever.
9 - Carol Ann - Kseniya's partner and a proud Texan
10 - Me! I have started giving myself a mile once in a while.
11 - Bob - who was responsible for the rain and also cause he admitted to having sex with 11 women prior to marrying Deb - his kids thought he was a stud.
12 - Grandma Owl, Bruce's mom, who is lost somewhere but still here, sort of, with Alzheimer's and maybe still "humming in her tummy" as she told me once.
13- Billy again - the boys always request two miles. Billy had this number in soccer and maybe in basketball.
14- Les - the WW II veteran at church who is an usher and always gives me big hugs "Watch the pacemaker" he always says.
15 - Velda - my 94 year old church girl who is on oxygen and still driving and an inspiration cause inside she is still a young girl. She tells me "You just have to deal with whatever you get".
16 - Mary Alice - another church girl who loves to hear about my marathons and for local ones, stands at mile 8 and gives me a hug. Barbara Jean, my sis, also wanted 16. I always send her my marathon pictures and she puts them on her locker at work.
17 - Enid and Vic - Vic is also gone - maybe somewhere with my dad and Bob. I have a beer with Enid most Saturdays.
18 - Ron, the running rev, my running buddy of 10 years who moved to Denver - he did my first marathon with me in 1995.
19 - Pat, his wife, a breast cancer survivor
20 Eric - a friend who ran two marathons and then got some weird disease and had to retire from running and work but not yet from life.
21 - Linda, a friend from work who had breast cancer which spread. I ran many miles for her when she was living and she died this year but I still think she deserves a mile.
22- Dan again
23 & 24 - Bruce - he deserves two because he is the best athletic supporter - driving down there and hanging out while I run and then lay around moaning for the rest of the day.
25 and 26 - for Bob who ran his last marathon in Boston 2007 and then finished the "big one" on September 22nd. Thanks for the rain. Also for my sweet father in law who at 93 is in a nursing home after having a stroke. He always used to ask me about my running.
Suzanne had people she was running for too - her children and her husband who died two years ago. She helped me at mile 20 when I felt nauseated and dizzy. I helped her at mile 24 when she said "I can't go faster". I got a second wind and we talked about what my friend Tom had said to Bob about the secret to running marathons "just one foot in front of the other, repeat until done". So we did just that, drenched but happy to be there.
We both finished in 4:01:54 - 9.13 minute miles. Good enough for 24Th out of 156 in our age group so we were happy. Members of the national guard greeted us at the end and in an act of gratitude for them being there and for us finishing yet another marathon - 31 for me - I kissed each one of them on the cheek.
We both agreed that the rain wasn't bad and talked about what we would do differently next time.
I think he knew I would like the run in the rain anyway. After all it was St. George - my favorite marathon of all. Anyone can run when it is sunny and beautiful. And as my spouse says, I may not remember any of the other 13 St. Georges I have done, but I will remember this one.
I met Suzanne at 4:45 AM by the corner where the buses carry us to the start on the up past Veyo. I had slept pretty well but as usual, set 3 separate alarm clocks. It felt warm and we figured that the rain would catch us later. But as we waited, a few drops hit us and in the bus, I had flashbacks to the bus ride to Hopkington where the wind shield wipers were going really fast to keep up with the rain. At least this was not a cold rain like it was in Boston. The bus was filled with marathon talk - how much people trained, how far the bus ride seemed and was this marathon really all downhill? Nope was the answer to that one, but I didn't want to seem like a smart aleck person. I pitied the first time runners who you could pick out because they were dressed in their singlets or cute little running outfits, not believing how cold it would be at the start. I had my same sweatshirt, and the same warm up pants that I wore out of superstition, for every single St. George.
We got off the bus and they were handing out black garbage bags, which we thankfully took and put over our heads. It was about 5:30 am by this time and we had 90 minutes till the race started. We headed for the porta potties. I did not hear anyone complain - runners, for the most part, are a hardy breed - we run through rain, broken legs, sore muscles and even Lou Gehrigs.
I was telling Suzanne about my system for assigning miles to my friends and family members as we started out at 7am. She liked that idea so we each remembered a person or two at every mile marker. Here's my list:
1 - Siggie - my "aunt" who lives with Barbara Jean and makes the best roast beef.
2 - Billy - first born son who had run this with me 4 times - our best time was 3:34:36.
3 - My dad - who hopefully was watching up there somewhere - wherever you go when you die.
4 - Dan, second born son who is in New Orleans and has an interview for medical school. He informed me a long time ago that he would never run a marathon, but we will see. Ray, my alcoholic 51 year old brother, who is so far gone he is never sober - but he also has done 4 marathons in his better more sober days.
5 - For everyone who couldn't be here - like the Amy's, Ramona, etc
6 - My mom, who says "when are you gonna quit running? you are too old".
7 - Deb because she has 7 in her family and admitted to having sex with 7 men before she got married, which astounded her kids when they were having some frank pre-death discussions with Bob.
8 - Sid - my running buddy who is 83 and has done 50 marathons and loved this mile when he used to do St. George - and my first born, Kseniya who used to come down there and drive me around afterwards - And Regina, Bob's caretaker - 8 was popular and in the middle of a hill that goes on forever.
9 - Carol Ann - Kseniya's partner and a proud Texan
10 - Me! I have started giving myself a mile once in a while.
11 - Bob - who was responsible for the rain and also cause he admitted to having sex with 11 women prior to marrying Deb - his kids thought he was a stud.
12 - Grandma Owl, Bruce's mom, who is lost somewhere but still here, sort of, with Alzheimer's and maybe still "humming in her tummy" as she told me once.
13- Billy again - the boys always request two miles. Billy had this number in soccer and maybe in basketball.
14- Les - the WW II veteran at church who is an usher and always gives me big hugs "Watch the pacemaker" he always says.
15 - Velda - my 94 year old church girl who is on oxygen and still driving and an inspiration cause inside she is still a young girl. She tells me "You just have to deal with whatever you get".
16 - Mary Alice - another church girl who loves to hear about my marathons and for local ones, stands at mile 8 and gives me a hug. Barbara Jean, my sis, also wanted 16. I always send her my marathon pictures and she puts them on her locker at work.
17 - Enid and Vic - Vic is also gone - maybe somewhere with my dad and Bob. I have a beer with Enid most Saturdays.
18 - Ron, the running rev, my running buddy of 10 years who moved to Denver - he did my first marathon with me in 1995.
19 - Pat, his wife, a breast cancer survivor
20 Eric - a friend who ran two marathons and then got some weird disease and had to retire from running and work but not yet from life.
21 - Linda, a friend from work who had breast cancer which spread. I ran many miles for her when she was living and she died this year but I still think she deserves a mile.
22- Dan again
23 & 24 - Bruce - he deserves two because he is the best athletic supporter - driving down there and hanging out while I run and then lay around moaning for the rest of the day.
25 and 26 - for Bob who ran his last marathon in Boston 2007 and then finished the "big one" on September 22nd. Thanks for the rain. Also for my sweet father in law who at 93 is in a nursing home after having a stroke. He always used to ask me about my running.
Suzanne had people she was running for too - her children and her husband who died two years ago. She helped me at mile 20 when I felt nauseated and dizzy. I helped her at mile 24 when she said "I can't go faster". I got a second wind and we talked about what my friend Tom had said to Bob about the secret to running marathons "just one foot in front of the other, repeat until done". So we did just that, drenched but happy to be there.
We both finished in 4:01:54 - 9.13 minute miles. Good enough for 24Th out of 156 in our age group so we were happy. Members of the national guard greeted us at the end and in an act of gratitude for them being there and for us finishing yet another marathon - 31 for me - I kissed each one of them on the cheek.
We both agreed that the rain wasn't bad and talked about what we would do differently next time.
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