18 Miles - 3 Women - And A Biker

Posted on August 12, 2007

As the Marine Corps Marathon approaches day by day, so does our mileage to prepare to run that distance (without becoming a patient of the EMS and Hospital systems of Washington DC). So, this Sunday morning, I was asked to do the water stops for the runners doing the 6:30AM run on this side of First Landing State Park. The plan is to have fluids available at 56th St and 43rd St. At 56th, the runners have gone a bit over 6 miles. 7 miles at 43rd. On the return trip to Final Kick on Great Neck Rd, the 43rd stop is at 11 miles and the 56th stop is a bit over 12 miles into the run. From there, we have water available just inside the park, then at the two mile marker on Cape Henry Trail, then the Visitor Center, and finally at the Shore Drive picnic area 1 mile from the finish.

The weather this morning was absolutely perfect. WAY better than this past Wednesday morning when I did 16 miles. The heat index at 5:30 AM was already 90 degrees. I finished my run with the mercury at 96 degrees. (that was not ideal conditions, but I survived).

So, I got up at 6 am and got everything ready to go. Kathryn sliced up the oranges last night so I just had to buzz down the street to her house and grab them out of the fridge and I was off to drop a stop at 43rd, then man the stop at 56th. I brought the paper and waited (with my camera of course).

I was reading the paper and kept getting interrupted by walkers, joggers and runners asking me what I was doing parked there on the feeder road with cups of water and gatorade on my trunk lid. I just answered “trying to find a cure for cancer! thanks for asking!” The reactions were mixed, so I think I need to work on my delivery a little bit.

I was starting to wonder where my teammates were, when out of the distance (and aided by a telephoto lens) came Coach Bob. That ride gets around 25 miles per bagel and a cup of coffee. You can see the three ladies behind him running roadblock fashion.

Coach Bob is the oil on the gears around the team. He keeps everyone running smoothly. I can’t fathom the amount of questions he must field from people regarding training plans, mileage, injuries, marital and relationship issues, dog bites, quiche recipes, and the like, but he always answers with a smile. (He’s that guy that runs around in a Leprechaun costume at the Shamrock Marathon every year)

Then the ladies arrived looking extremely good to go the rest of the distance. Jen, Kathryn, and Kate. Women always run well together. They’ve got cooperation down to a science. Men are different (at least I am). We try to kill each other with pace changes and other manifestations of running passive agressiveness, but that’s another story.

I had put out water, gator, and orange slices but the girls insisted on posing a bit.

And posing a bit more. I think Kat was trying to get the girls to show their Angel wings for the photos.

Then it was time to get going again. So, off they went with another 12 miles to go.

The great thing about Team In Training is that we never really go out and do these things alone. We’ve got a great support system with Coach Bob and all the Mentors. We all volunteer at some time or another for things to help out the group and this is just how it works.

Kathryn and Kate ran the Mud Run yesterday too, and here they are out there today doing an 18 mile long run.

I left some water behind the newspaper stands at 56th and off I went when Coach Bob said that would be ok. So I put some of the pictures up, and now it’s time to get ready to shoot a wedding.

I’m STILL WAY BEHIND on posting events up here, so check back often.

Steven and Ashanti - Norfolk Botanical Gardens

Posted on August 5, 2007

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