The Rushes: The Country Music Marathon

Marathon number 3 is DONE!

On April 25, 2009 I ran the Country Music marathon in Nashville, TN. The two previous races I completed were in Atlanta (the Atlanta ING) and this year I wanted to try something different. I had a great time, but it was H-O-T! It was a miserable 85 degrees that day and I learned a good lesson...wear sunscreen! I only put sunscreen on my face (because I am so pale and even the slightest sunburn would make my face look like a tomato) and not on my arms, neck, ears or legs. Needless to say - I paid for my mistake. My arms and neck were bright pink and it was awful.

Through the race I heard and saw several ambulances. People were getting sick and overheated pretty quickly. It was scary to see runners taken off the course on a stretcher and others sitting on the side of the road under a tree with their head in their hands, just trying to get some relief from the sun. My training took place mostly in the cold weather, but I did have some warm long runs and I am used to high humidity (one day I am going to invent a drug to make you immune to humidity and it's effects) so I was not completely out of my element when the temperature topped off at 85 degrees (I knew it was going to be hot that day when I boarded the bus at 4:45 am and it was already 62 degrees). You meet people and make new friends as you run along and I ran a couple miles with a woman from Wisconsin. She said her entire training took place in the cold - there was not a day she did not have to wear a coat and gloves as she ran. So the CMM was a shock to her system because she was not used to the heat as she ran.

My mom and dad drove down from Kentucky to help cheer me on. They met up with Bryan and they waited for me to cross the finish line. Bryan knew I had a goal of finishing in 5 hours, 30 minutes (yes, yes, yes -- I know that is really slow, but hey - I am just fine with that!), so he figured out the approximate time I would cross the finish line. Well, that time came and went....then some more time came and also left, another few 10 minutes went by --they still did not see me. Well, I have an explanation for that -- IT WAS HOT! By mile 20 pretty much everyone was walking, there were not many people running. I would run for a few minutes, then walk for a few. I turned off my timer at that point and knew that I would be lucky to finish under the seven hour time limit. I was hot, tired and I hurt! Finally--as I got closer and closer - I saw Bryan and my parents as I entered the very last part of the race and I felt great, my legs and feet no longer hurt! At 6 hours, 2 minutes I crossed the finish line!! So, I have been thinking --- I think the next race I do will be a half-marathon!

My mom and dad waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for me...