It’s 4 days after one of the toughest marathons in the world and it was time to do another? Are you kidding me? Ok let’s do it. I would have walked if I had to.
It was quite a week after the Leadville Marathon. Usually I feel pretty good within two days of the marathon but not this one. On Monday my body still felt like lead and now I know why they call it the Leadville marathon. To add insult to injury (even though I’m not injured, just sore), Sunday the day after the marathon I was running barefoot with my dog on the grass and I ran over a bee which stung me on my heal. Great! I don’t get injured from running, but yet a little bee stung the heck out of my right heal. Ouch!
Me, being a drama queen, I pull the stinger out, bandage it up with way more bandages then necessary and I wine and of course had to post it on Facebook. I love the comment, what a Buzz kill! Buzzzzz
Poor little guy
On Monday the bee sting seemed to dissipate and my body was still in a state of shock from Leadville. I used muscles I didn’t even know I had. However Tuesday morning I wake up and my body is better but I had a delayed reaction to the bee sting and my right heal has swollen up to the size of a balloon and I feel like there is a rock in my foot. Great, I have a marathon tomorrow what am I going to do? Freak out of course. 
That I did, I also soaked it in Epsom salt and cried to David all day about it. Poor David. When we arrived in Portland Tuesday night, I dissected it and found that I may not have gotten the stinger all the way out. So Wednesday morning I woke up and my foot is miraculously all healed up and I am ready to run! Whew!!!
We got on a bus to Suavie Island, Oregon, just outside of Portland. It was like taking a trip back in time. A little island surrounded by rivers. It was a small town with the start and finish on a farm with a pumpkin patch and a tractor pulling little kids around in cow cars. So cute.
At this point I am pretty tired and cold. So David and I hide in the Brooks bus. Maybe no one will see me and I can just stay here. Maybe not. Well, no such luck, the race starts and off I go, pretty darn slow. I was still feeling a little Leadville. Leadville, by the way is now an adjective: Example: “How are you? I am feeling a little Leadville, thank you, how are you?” Lol
Hiding and huddling for warmth in the Brooks bus.
The race started with an out and back for about 10 miles running along side a beautiful river. I seemed to be knocking off the miles rather quickly, even though I was going so slowly. The half marathon split was at mile 6 and unfortunately the course wasn’t marked very well and many half marathoners went the wrong way. Even some of the elites. I bet they were not happy.
David greeted me at mile 17 and we ran for a mile together. He ran 14 that day. Go David.
Mile 18 comes along and I was ready to get this marathon finished. By mile 19 I cannot explain it, but I felt the most intense energy. When most would start burning out, I started speeding up and passing everyone. I knew I had to keep my speed under control to reduce the risk of injury but it was amazing.
I started running sub 10-minute miles, then sub 9. I finished the last .2 with a 7:25. I can’t explain what got into me. It wasn’t even the caffeine, which I didn’t have by the way until mile 23. I am sure the angels had something to do with it.
I finished with a 4:59, not that it matters but I was secretly hoping to finish under 5 today. I guess I still haven’t learned to totally take the clock or my ego out of the marathon for this journey.
The finish line was cute, a strawberry medal and strawberry shortcake for the 4th of July. They had baby pools filled with ice, of course by the time I finished it was all melted but still cold and felt great.
I run for Strawberry Shortcake? Maybe not, but it was good. I look like a strawberry. lol
Here we are on the plane, July 4th flying through the sky. Getting ready to go back to work tomorrow. There is no one on this plane. July 4th is a great day to travel. We even have our own rows to stretch out and sleep, or blog. Look at this guy across the row from me. He has the hardest job of putting up with me. I am so grateful for him. I <3 you David. Awwwww
Shhhh David’s sleeping awwww
This week is one of the toughest weeks of my 52 Journey. I have 3 marathons in 8 days, with the first one being one of the hardest marathons on the planet, Leadville. So please excuse the grammar and spelling (no time for that now). Tomorrow I run The Missoula Marathon in Montana. But by the grace of God and my angels I am happy and so grateful to report, I feel amazing. No soreness, no injuries, just a heart full of gratitude.
I am not saying it’s all sunshine and roses, there is a little drama. For without a little drama life would be boring (a little). So, I broke one of my longest finger nails at the airport, I have a really awful fever blister on my lip (hence the fact there are so few pics) then had some serious acid build up in my stomach and thought I had food poisoning. But I am ok and these are little things compared to what is at hand. What is at hand is people are dying tragically from Pancreatic Cancer and this is the kind of drama we don’t need.
I dedicated this marathon and was honored to run for Boomer Cover’s father Jim Cover. They called him Doc. He was only 52 years old when he passed away. He lost his battle in December of 2007. He was only 52. I honored a him while I ran that day and will think of him at marathon #52 also. I will do all I can so that no disease such as this, can take such beautiful people away from us. I am not stopping until we have change. For you Boomer, for your Dad Jim and all those affected.
Thank you everyone for your support and love. That’s the motivation keeps me strong to keep going. Also the motivation that beautiful people like Jim Cover have been taken from us too young for a disease that with proper funding we could do more research to stop it in it’s tracks.
Please share my story with your friends or anyone you can think of who may be able to help, whether with donations, sponsorships, media and more. Please remember no amount is too small and spreading awareness is half the battle.
Sending love from the sky. Hope you all had a happy and safe 4th of July.
xoJulie
p.s. Not only do We Got This… We are doing it!!
