Lincoln National Guard Marathon

Not a bad event at all. If I lived here I’d do it every year. But I don’t, so this marathon gets me Nebraska, my 21st state and 34th marathon. Weather was OK, about 55 at the start and about 65 when I finished. Plenty warm, actually, but I don’t melt as easily as some runners and I was OK.

For some reason this was a joyful marathon for me. Over and over again I realized how wonderful it was to be floating down the street with the other runners, hearing people say "go Don!," feeling the sun on my head, the breeze in my face, and the pavement underfoot. Perhaps it has something to do with the good test results from Mayo last week. Or maybe it was because of all of the Team in Training (TNT) runners in this race. TNT is part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), which supports research for myeloma and other blood cancers besides leukemia and lymphoma. It’s a way for LLS to raise money. As I understand it, the TNT runners collect pledges for LLS from their friends and relatives, due when the runner finishes the race. I may not have that whole picture, though.

Many of the LLS runners are doing their first marathon, or half-marathon. I like to encourage them. When I pass one, or one passes me, I tell him or her that I have myeloma, that they might be saving my life, and that they are my hero. All true. They like to hear that, and in fact more than one said that was just what they needed to hear to keep going. It’s emotional, on their part and mine. All good. Sweaty runners don’t hug much, otherwise we would be running down the road four-leggedly.

I took it fairly easy this time, finishing in about 4:50. I wanted to finish in less than five hours, no problem. It was my slowest marathon since starting the CC-4047 and dexamethasone drug regimen a year ago last March, but I think I could have shaved off ten minutes if I had felt that driven. Instead, I felt exuberant and full of joy today so I took it easy and tried for a consistent pace. Indeed, the last 10k took only four minutes longer than the first 10k. That’s cool.

Slight pain: My back hurt, in or near the spine well above the waist, but that came and went. It’s gone now. It’s a new thing - I hope it doesn’t come back. No joints hurt. The hip flexors that have yelled at me on long runs for a year or so were silent today. Perhaps they’ve figured out their role in this marathon running. All leg muscles hurt: quads, hamstrings, and calves, as might be expected. In fact one of the calves cramped up a few minutes after the finish, which is an excruciating pain that lasts about a minute but seems like an hour. It goes away faster if I can stretch it gently, and I was able to lean against a tree and do that. I took plenty of salt this time, and water at every aid station, so the best solution for the calf cramps will be to TRAIN BETTER! Three more marathons coming up. This was a long run for the first of them.

I might write some more about this marathon tomorrow. Right now, It’a a masterpiece!

Splits: 11:20, 10:13, 10:59, 9:58, 11:25, 9:31, 10:56, 11:36, 11:27, 11:20, 11:14, 11:09, 21:32 (2 mi), 10:34, 12:04, 11:42, 12:27, 10:49, 11:11, 11:12, 10:21, 11:49, 10:58, 12:03, 11:05, 1:58 (0.2 mi), total 4:50:43, pace 11:06.



If it weren't called the Lincoln National Guard Marathon, it could be called the Lincoln Apple Blossom Marathon. We saw a lot of onamental crabs in full blossom.