It was Charles Dickens who could have summed up my trip every so nicely. Idaho; how beautiful this state really is. From the Grand Tetons to the beautiful waterfalls. I have never run a marathon an experienced so much of natures beauty. I did successfully complete the Mesa Falls Marathon but had pulled my back out and could barely run about half-way through the race. I logged my slowest time ever on this marathon. I have never run with an injury before but I now can appreciate how trying it really is. I was clicking along just great until about mile 15 and then my back gave out. Wow, what a humbling experience. I walked and ran the rest of the course. My back was in some excruciating pain but I wasn't about to give up. I will schedule an appointment today with the doctor so that I can get back on track. My back has had it's share of wear and tear over the years and I need to get some recommendations from the medical profession. I have played 4 years of high school football, 2 years of college rugby, a wrestling injury with a friend and a minor case of scoliosis that was never treated. These are not excuses but activities and genetics that make my back one of the hurdles I deal with everyday.
On to the good stuff!!! The people in Idaho know how to put on a marathon. I just love the small towns. I drove into Ashton, ID Friday evening about 6:30pm from Jackson Hole, WY. I pulled up at the local grade school gym where they were handing out race packets. There were less than 500 participants running the race and ALL of us were treated with care. The race bags that were given out were not bags at all but Idaho potato sacks!!! Very nice touch. The chip that we were given was an ankle bracelet that we velcroed around our ankle. I have never had this type of chip before but it worked well aside from the fact you had something that could potentially annoy you while you run. There was a spaghetti dinner in the high school gym served with, you guessed it, an Idaho potato! When was the last time you had spaghetti with a potato? :) After chatting with some of the locals it was off to my motel. Yes; motel, not hotel. I stayed at the Guesthouse Henry Fork Inn in St. Anthony, ID. This was the only hotel in St. Anthony about 15 minutes from Ashton. The 3 hotels in Ashton were fully booked when I made my reservations. The Guesthouse was clean, good airconditioning and the hot and cold water was just great. If your a fancy girl or boy this hotel would not be for you. You entered your room from the outside and the floor was kinda squeaky. There was a hot tub that was sitting outside in the grass next to the parking lot. Like I said. It was clean, but it wasn't the Hilton. :)
Saturday morning I woke up at 4:00am. Running gear on I drove my sporty Ford Focus over to Ashton to catch the bus. They had breakfast for everyone in the gym. Coolers full of water and power drink, oatmeal, cereal, eggs, sausage and bagels. These folks don't mess around. The course was an out and back and we all loaded on buses. These were tour buses with bathrooms. Did I mention that these people don't mess around! We drove out at least 26.2 miles and went up into the mountains for some of the journey. I believe we were at about 6,ooo ft when we reached the start line. The start line was on a gravel country road and nothing more than the electronic timing strip laid across the road. There were 4 porta-potties and that was it. No fan-fare or music to send us off. You really know that you are at a small race when the race director waits for everyone to finish using the porta-potties before he starts the race. The race was delayed about 10 minutes due to the line for the restroom. :) The race director told us that they saw a lot of bear sign while they were setting up the course. He said we should be fine because of all the noise that the 4-wheelers made while setting up the course and most probably scaring off the bears! He jokingly said that you only had to run as fast as one other person if you saw a bear! I did see some bear tracks along the path as I ran. Kinda fun, kinda scary!! We were out in the wilderness for sure! We ran across 3 cattle guards and dodged many piles of cow, horse and undefined animal droppings! :)
The course was beautiful. Wild flowers, waterfalls, mountains, rivers, horses, cows and very friendly people along the way. This was one of the top rated marathons in 50 states so I met people from all over the country. The people were awesome!
After I finished I was treated to a free Huckleberry Milkshake from the local restaurant. All runners welcomed this very special treat. The volunteers were great before, during and after the race. There were plenty of food and drinks for all. The medal we were awarded for finishing was made out wood and the information was wood burnt into the wood. Very cool. On the back was a wood burning of; bet you can't guess, A BEAR! :) That night I had a great dinner of steak and pasta and had a cold one or two at the Big Star Bar! The locals were having a pig roast and had invited me to join them. They gave me free food and treated me like family.
Although my back gave me problems this trip I will be back again in a few short weeks to tackle the Omaha Marathon in Nebraska. I will do whatever I need to do to get back in the saddle for the next race. This was my 10th state and 11th marathon. I met a lady at the airport in which this marathon was her 136th. Wow!!! How humbling it is every time I go to a marathon and meet the extraordinary people who participate in these events.
On the plane ride to Jackson Hole, WY I met a family from New York. They had a 16 year old daughter who is a type 1 diabetic. I always love to meet other diabetics and share stories with them and their family. The mom is a nurse and is certainly a blessing and a God sent to the little girl. I hope the family has a terrific vacation!!!
The interesting thing as well was the woman I met who had just run her 136th marathon. She has a daughter in her 20's that is a type 1 diabetic as well and who has run several marathons with her mom. She couldn't make this trip because she was in college but I was inspired how her mom said she took the bull by the horns and learned how to manage her diabetes while running. It is amazing how many people out there are affected by diabetes. Sometimes I like it when nobody knows I am a diabetic, but the more people I talk to, we all seem to find comfort in each other and help inspire each other as we continue with this obstacle on life's journey. One thing that hits home with me as I travel around the country... It's important to me to share my journey and the experience with others. I didn't like making this trip alone and will do my best to have my family with me on the next marathon I run. Life is about all the experiences you have and it makes them so much more fulfilling when you have that special someone or some one's there to share it with!
I could keep you all day with stories from my trip but I must get back to making a living! :) Take time on your journey in life to stop and smell the wild flowers. Enjoy the people you meet because you can learn so much from so many people and get an abundance of joy out of sharing your life with them. Be true to yourself and be true to others and love with all your heart!!!
Never give up, never stop running,
KB
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