State #42: Montana

The Montana Marathon includes a Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, a Virtual Marathon, a Virtual Half Marathon and a Virtual 10K. I ran the Half Marathon. 

Ugh - yes, another race at altitude. 

Colorado was rough, and Montana had it's moments as well. Billings is at about 3,123 feet altitude but the race starts a little higher up at about 3700 feet. It ends at about 3100 feet, with some minor hills along the way. I try to pick a small gradient downhill when running any race above 2500 feet, which is when I start to feel the change in altitude. I guess that's what you get living near sea level your whole life which is probably why I am a real big baby at altitude. I do that catch up breathing thing because I feel like I am out of breath - okay well, suffocating. Even though this race had no where near the ups and downs that the Prairie Dog Half in Colorado did, my pace still tanked on the minor uphills.

Billings is in the center of southern Montana, about a two-hour drive east from Bozeman. It was shaped by the Yellowstone River. Montana is beautiful. We explored some roads that Ron wants to go back and ride on his motorcycle. 

Keep in mind, I am terrible at taking pictures!

Beartooth Highway

Beartooth Pass

At one point, we were above the tree-line!

Beartooth Pass

Beartooth Highway

Simply Amazing!

Billings is the largest city in Montana. It has great restaurants and brew pups. I picked up the race packet at the local YMCA. There was a map of all the races. 

Even though the full marathon started in the tiny town of Molt, just outside Billings, the half marathon started at the midway point of the 26.2-mile full marathon course, on Molt Road. To get to the start, everyone packed into several different school buses. I took one of the earlier buses just in case I had tummy/Crohn's issues. I sat next to a gentleman who told me he had to go to work after he was done running. I thought, I know afterward, I am going to be super tired, and wondered what he did that he had to work on the weekend. So I asked, "What do you do?" He told me that he was a firefighter. I then said, "I bet firefighting out here is quite different than in New Jersey!"  He pointed to what I am guessing was a type of Mountain Sedge and said, "You see that stuff? It burns like nobody's business."

Mountain Sedge?

I learned a lot about Colorado, Montana and Wyoming over the past year. These are America's High Desserts. Each trip taken to these states, I have gotten a bloody nose. It's so very dry. The Montana Half wasn't only dry, at the start it was about 37 degrees F. The race start was delayed a little and everyone was huddling and shivering. I brought an old fleece, but put it in my checked bag not knowing the race start was going to be delayed a bit. It was very windy. I kept doing stride repeats. I met some women who seemed about my age. They were also running this half marathon as their "Montana Half". I met some women from Maryland who were also on track to finish a half in every state. I think the one woman was at state 47!

The start shot you down hill, which apparently was easier to run down this year than in the past because it is now paved. Ron heard some stories that people were falling and rolling down the hill at the start in years past. I am super glad it was paved - my luck I would have been one of the runners rolling down hill! LOL!

It was pretty quiet once the runners started off. No pace groups, no one to run with, just the sound of my breath. My cold arms and legs were looking forward to warming up. There were some people along the stretch of farm road shouting and cheering. I remember running through a little development with people cheering, "Great job!" Then more stretch of quiet. Like you see in the above pictures. Then I remember running past a farm. There were, what seemed like a bunch of goats or sheep. Okay, don't judge - one, I can't see that well because of the double eye surgery, but more importantly, I grew up with the NYC Skyline basically down my street, so my interaction with animals amounts to cats, dogs, squirrels, birds, etc. 

I get excited when I see a chipmunk!

Anyway, we runners had some new fans! A bunch of baby sheep or goats came running down a dirt path toward the road,. They were bleeting and baa-ing. I started laughing and said out loud, 

"Oh my gosh, this is the best fan club ever." 

I don't think anyone else was as impressed as I was, but these little noises/cheers and little gallops made this race, at that quiet moment, beautiful! It was an incredible moment. I was racing on a road so different than any road I run on at home. That's what it's all about though, isn't it?

After winding through the city along several twists and turns, the race heads east toward the finish line at Daylis Stadium, near Billings’ Pioneer Park.

I pushed it out, kicking with everything i had left to trim off any last seconds.

Kickin' It Out!

Chip Time: 1:49:31

Yes! I came in under 1:50! 

I placed 2nd in my age group!

Woo-hoo!

Tired Eyes
A Good Cry with My "Why!"

Second Place! 

Time to take a hot shower, get a burger and enjoy Billings, Montana's beer trail!

So Yummy!

Until next post, 

Train Hard,

Run Happy,

Run To Inspire

and

God Bless America!

State #41: Wisconsin

Say Cheeeese!

Cheese Head Run, Wisconsin

On August 14, 2021, I ran the Cheesehead Run Half Marathon! The race follows along the rolling hills of Calumet County in rural eastern Wisconsin. It was a very well-organized out and back that started in a small mid-western town called Hillbert, Wisconsin. Although the race mentioned some long uphill stretches, it was to me a nice flat course with a few miles on a trail, called the Fox River Trail. I was grateful for the trail because as the race proceeded, the sun felt quite strong.

In spite of being lactose intolerant, I thought this race would provide me with a great opportunity to experience the beauty of this quiet area of Wisconsin, nestled amongst lots of farms and corn fields. I was good though - no cheese curds for me, even though I think I saw them in the Appie section on every menu in every restaurant. 

In spite of eating healthy and watching my diet, I had terrible pain in the upper right abdominal quadrant that lasted about 10-miles. August seems to always be a hard month for me in terms of managing my Crohn's Disease. I literally prayed the pain would go away for almost the entire race.  

This was a forced smile through the tummy issues!

Back to Focusing, Breathing and Praying

The whole time I ran, I thought, follow the guy in the bright yellow shirt. He past me in the beginning and from behind, he looked as if he were in such great shape. I though, gosh, if I can just tag along behind him for the rest of the race, I would probably do really well. There was no pic of me finishing, but here is the gentleman that I followed for the entire race.

Thank you, Brianth!

When I finished, I had to introduce myself and tell him that I aimed to keep up with him the whole entire time. He was so nice - very thankful for all my compliments. I was like "WOW, I can't believe I was able to hang - he looks like quite the athlete!" Then he broke it to me... He told me that he loves to work out but didn't really train for this race - just ran a few miles here and there .... Let's get a beer, Brianth - maybe I will just forget that you just ran a few miles here and there with that post run beer! LOL! Of course, I train CONSTANTLY!

Cheers, Brianth!

We have to give Ron some kudos - he ran the 5k! Great job, Ron, come have a beer with us! LOL!

Gotta love the race beer!

It was great to learn that I placed first in my age group. This time, I was aware of where they were calling the age group winners - unlike Colorado. In Colorado all I could think was that I going to pass out from being deprived of oxygen for about 2-hours. In Colorado when they called my name, I was running around aimlessly wondering where the "winners circle" was - it was right in front of me. Oh, well.

1st Place Age Group Win!!!
Woo-hoo!
1:52:00

I received a beautiful pint glass and, I kid you not, a block of cheese! At first I didn't know what was in the pint glass. I poked this yellow block wrapped in plastic - see a trend? I am a little slow after a race, a little glucose deprived. Then I realized and said out loud, "Oh my gosh, this is a block of cheese!" The commentator said, "Yes, it is!"

Next stop, a drive to T. Bacon's BBQ (don't get really good BBQ in New Jersey by me) and Anduzzi's Sports Club by Green Bay Packer's Lambeau Field. There was a pre-season game and the streets were packed. No we didn't wear any Green Bay jerseys - but we did happen to make friends with some Vikings fans from Minnesota, who were wearing inconspicuous purple outfits. They knew we were "visitors" based on our not representing Green Bay. I guess we stood out like sore thumbs - or in my case, sore hammies, LOL!

Here's a bit of the countryside along the way ...

Lots of corn fields!
But very beautiful!

Can't forget to include a picture of Freedom - this is the whole reason I am able to run throughout the 50 United States of America! I am, and have always been acutely aware of how very blessed my family and I are to be living in the USA. Our freedom is something I will fight to preserve!

Until next post, 

Train Hard,

Run Happy,

Run To Inspire

and

God Bless America!

State #40: Colorado

Ready, Set, Goooo!

On July 16th, 2021, about 20 months after my last half marathon, I ran the Prairie Dog Half in Castle Rock, Colorado. It was a very challenging course. It was also very hot. 

My heart is heavy writing this post because as I reached mile 10-ish, I was told there was an emergency on the course. All runners were to be re-directed. I stopped and yelled, "Everyone pray!" Then I looked at the woman, who definitely had panic in her eyes, and said, "I am from New Jersey, I don't know where I am going." She told me to follow the other runners.

There was one younger girl in front of me who kept stopping. I would catch up to her and yell, "C'mon - you are strong, powerful and confident!" She would then start running again. She would stop, I would catch her and yell, "C'mon, girl. Let's Go." This went on for at least 4 to 5 miles. So, if I could catch back up with her and not lose her, I would not get lost  .... like I did in Washington State ... the first time I ran there! Ugh!

Maybe it's a good thing we were redirected straight up a hill because the young girl slowed, stopped and I caught up to her, again. I might not be fast, but I definitely had endurance to make it up that huge hill at the end! I tried to hang with her once she picked back up and ran towards the finish.

It wasn't until a few weeks after the race, the race director reported that a young man in the race passed away. This is very sad news. I tried to see if the family had a Go Fund Me page but the race director was not aware of any. I am praying for this family. This is a tragic loss and I can definitely relate to seeing a loved one off in the morning and hear that they will not be coming home. This is why I run.

The race started at 6:30 AM, which is probably the earliest start that I have ever done. At about mile 6/7, I got really dizzy from the altitude and fell off the course pathway. I stumbled onto the grass and to the next water stop. The volunteers asked if I were okay. I just said that I was a little dizzy because I was not accustomed to running at such high altitudes. Fortunately, the race was pretty much downhill from there and I started to peel off some time. This is when I was passed by a young girl who said, "Wow, you have been so hard to catch!" I told her that as long as she was not over 50, I was okay being passed by her. She yelled back to me, "Noooo, I am only eighteen!" LOL!

The race was very pretty, most of it along a paved path, very quiet although you heard the occasional car and truck whiz by on the nearby highway. There were plenty of water stops and plenty of volunteers. There was one thing that I thought was odd and that had to do with the fact that there was no race timing mat at the turn around. After what happened to me in Kentucky when someone feigned running the full half and claimed to place in my age group, I am a fan of the bib chip and timing mats at start, mid-way and finish.

The last 400 meters was pretty flat and I sprinted through to the finish

Prairie Dog Half Marathon Finish

Although the race wasn't cup-less, which seems to be very popular in Colorado, it was a cup-less finish. Thank goodness we had some ice pops. I probably felt dizzy for at least another hour, which is why when they called my name and told me that I finished 2nd place in my age group, I sat down to take the pic:

Exhausted!

Congratulations to Ron, who placed 3rd AG in the "obligatory" 5K

Go, Ron!!!

Well, only 10 more states to go!! A little slower than when I started 11 years ago, but as I tell my clients:

You can only do what you can do 

for who you are 

this moment in time!

Train Hard,

Run Happy,

Run To Inspire

and

God Bless America!