Hard Rock Half Marathon Nashville

I loved the Nashville Half Marathon course.
We saw Nashville.
A few of these point and shoots were taken through the car window the day before the race, but all are great memories of a fun race.

Be sure to read Don's account of the course and his race on Make It A Masterpiece.

Duke City Marathon / Half

Runner Don off and running his 69th marathon in his 49th state: New Mexico

Sweet Pea and I started, downtown Albuquerque, at the back of the pack, running the half marathon. Streets were clear of traffic.

Big spider on a house, one of the fun Halloween decorations along the route
The Day of the Dead (Mexican "All Saints Day") preparations were evident.

I appreciate running through neighborhoods: interesting homes, hope of a little shade, a few spectators.

The 10K race was overload for the trail, and no delight to us slower half marathoners.

The New Mexico sun was clear and bright and seemingly relentless.

A huge hats off to organizers for CLOSING THE STREETS. No sharing the road with speeding SUVs.

Route 66, familiar to us from the Tulsa Marathon races

Pottery shop

Back in the hotel room, I searched the internet for altitude sickness symptoms... in Albuquerque, checking off all but one.
I recall sitting on the curb crying with Sweet Pea in the Denver half marathon, of similar altitude. Then we picked ourselves up and finished the race. Denver race course went past the capitol and through parks: nice!

In this race, water could not quench my thirst, the sun burned my eyes though the sunglasses, the 7 or 8 miles of totally treeless trail was depressing, my body ached all over, matching the symptoms on the internet.

Gratitude to the organizers for providing a New Mexico race! Some runners had a fun time.
We appreciated getting the state.

In Albuquerque Sweet Pea handled the altitude better and was chief of cheerful attitude for finishing the race.


PS
Our hearts go out to the people in the path of Hurricane Sandy. As we like to say, "We ran there."

We have run a marathon or a half marathon in each of these Atlantic states up the coast: Fort Lauderdale in Florida, Kiawa Island of South Carolina, Outer Banks North Carolina, Virginia Beach (next March), western West Virginia, Annapolis Maryland, Rehoboth Beach Delaware, Asbury Park New Jersey, Marine Corps Marathon in DC and Virginia, New York City (we 3 all ran the NYC marathon in all 5 boroughs!), Hartford Connecticut, Providence Rhode Island, Boston Marathon (just Don ran; we cheered), Hampton New Hampshire, Mad Mountains of Vermont, Portland Maine.

We ran on the board walk in Asbury Park.

Our best wishes and prayers

Smuttynose Marathon and Half

Precious memories of New Hampshire

When we drove the race the day before, we found signs up.
A couple of roads, shared with traffic, felt dangerous during the race though.

New Hampshire license plate declare, "Live free or die", giving
a note of reality to the National Anthem at the start of the race.

Rental car had GPS! What a fabulous help that was with navigating the neighborhoods as we drove the race course the day before the race.

Here we all are, gathering at the start.

Rain was the weather for the whole weekend. On Friday evening, we drove in pouring rain and darkness on toward Boston and on north to northern Massachusetts.
And rain was the order of the day for the race.

But, oh the views from the race course!
Several miles of running along the north Atlantic Coast, viewing the energizing surf, I nearly ignored the rain.

But rain, it did! Sweet Pea and I sat in the car after the race, attempting to get dry and warm. Below: rain on the windshield.

Incredible reader: after the race, just walk up to it and it reads your number and shows your results. Oh fantastic!

Here is Myeloma Runner Don, finishing with cheer as usual.

Shame on the Stonyfield company for shutting down (running out?) sometime before 5 hours. We enjoyed the yogurt, but there was none for Don and other later finishers.

And hurrah for the race people for amazing post-race food: LOBSTER ROLL, hot soup (two types), bottled water.
They DID NOT RUN OUT OF LOBSTER ROLL.

The lobster roll was marvelously delicious post-race food.

Finisher's medals for all, and a pack of fun stuff for Don who placed in his age group.

Love those WOMEN'S cut race shirts.

Autumn colors in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania were great of course, even though we had to imagine bright sunshine. The view of deciduous and coniferous trees blanketing the mountains was worth the trip.

On the way home, at the very south end of Plum Island, north coast of Massachutetts

Wildlife at the National Reserve

I80/90 though northern Ohio fall color was peak.
Further north, Trempelo and Jackson County Wisconsin were as spectacular as any.
And the maple at the end of our own driveway wasn't so bad either.

Sioux Falls Half Marathon - Sunday, September 9

Fun for me to be back in Sioux Falls, where I graduated from Augustana College. I missed my 50-year reunion because we were running races in Hartford, Connecticut, a year ago.
Sweet Don, who ran the marathon on Sunday in Sioux Falls, was dear about driving all over Sioux Falls for me to see the town again.
Augustana College campus is as beautiful as ever, with many new buildings surrounded by trees.

A 1880 poem, in delight of the falls of Sioux Falls:

Barrel man advises slowing down.

Both marathon and half began at Howard Wood Field. The marathon race, added just 3 years ago, explores the northwest sections of the city, where Career Avenue is home to technical colleges. Then the runners join the half in the downtown area.

THE FALLS, cascading over the rocks in Falls Park, is a highlight of both races. Runners have this view as they cross a bridge just below the falls.

Runners registered in the parking lot of the huge Scheels sporting goods store.

Half marathon runners, also starting at Howard Wood field (below), ran past Terrace Park on the way to downtown.

... And through an original neighborhood of gracious old homes.

A plaque marks the activities of the Dillinger gang.

Sioux Falls is a growing and prosperous city, offering many cultural and educational opportunities. Below: Outstanding sculptures line Main Street.

Greenway Park, along the Big Sioux River, provides welcome shady final miles of both races.

Here's Runner Don finishing with his best time all year. Sweet Pea and I ran our best time all year, too.
I was first in age group again, which was a given since I was the only woman over 70 running the half.

Don was interviewed by the Argus Leader newspaper and a local television station.

Happy finishers!