1,831

After Grandma’s Marathon, I anticipated recurring knee pain and other issues associated with completing another 26.2 miles. It was the first time in a long time I actually missed running—not the roads but the trials. However, I decided to stay on the bike. However, the knee pain never came, and other body parts told me to take a break.

I have a goal of 3,000 commute miles this year, which equates to 84 days of commuting to work.  After his week, I am halfway there for work commutes at 42.  However, I have logged 1,831 miles so far this year.  I thought that was OK, but then I realized I averaged 8.2 miles a day this year.  That was an emotional uplift.  Then I realized I have several running friends who average more than that for daily miles on foot.  It is all relative.

I also improved my average speed to work recently.  After watching the Olympics, I decided to do a time trial on the road bike to work.  The previous time was just over 56 minutes, wind-assisted.  But August 2 was ideal.  No wind.  Since I ride in all directions to get to work, I always have the wind, no matter what direction it blows.  On this day, it was a new personal best of 54:23 for 17.81 miles... According to the Garmin 405! Only had one red light! The record average speed for me is 19.6 mph. Ave heart rate was 152.  I was pumped.  It was on my new road bike, the Fuji Roubaix 2.0.  I love the way it glides!

Been taking more pictures and learning new techniques.  Select pictures below.

Overall, it has been a decent summer so far. The infection was under control, yet now it seems to come back. I was so happy I rejected the Prednisone the last round. I will have another exam in a few weeks, but I fear I will be given Levaquin again. But NO PREDNISONE! I cannot afford another 10 pounds, and that is what I seemed to gain every time I was on the stuff.

I am going to be a half-century in the next month.  Time goes by so fast.  I'm unsure where it all went, and I see so much more I have not accomplished as I get older.  Some call it making a bucket list while others call it regrets.  I call it opportunity.  Many of my friends did not get the opportunity I have as they passed at an early age.  I will cherish the time, and I believe the trials are in my future.

Carry on…

Grandma's 2012

My first thought when starting this post was, "Where was a blog 28 years ago".  I have been comparing my experience at the 36^th Annual Grandma's Marathon (my 28^th consecutive) with past experiences.  However, I did not have a blog back then, so I did not keep a journal?  Bummer as after 28 finishes, they all run together, even two days afterward.  I did have blog entries for 2008, 2009, and 2010.  Last year was hard, and I only had 5 blog entries (2 in January and 3 in December).

My Friday could have been a better precursor to a successful weekend! Work was issue after issue, and I struggled to get away.  When I did, I went to my girlfriend's house, and we drove up in her second car, as sleeping in a Nissan Altima is easier than my Smart Four Two.  I took her car to fill up with gas, and about 5 blocks from the station, it ran out!!!  CRAP… I had to push it to the station.  I thought I would get a hand or two with Minnesota nice, but nothing.  Fortunately, the route was flat; the only issue was the entrance. I picked up speed and made it…

After that fiasco, we left Minneapolis at about 3:30 PM on Friday. I was concerned because I knew I was not as prepared as possible. LLogging no running miles since the 2011 Grandma's Marathon means there needed to be more preparation. I logged over 1,500 miles on my bike in the two months leading up to this attempt, but biking differs from running.

Battling traffic made the trip about 45 minutes longer than normal. However, my arrival at the DECC was perfect timing, as the 5K had finished, and much of the parking lot was clear. I picked up my packet and walked around Canal Park before heading to the car to sleep.

I set my alarm for 4:45 AM as the bus/train was scheduled to leave between 5:20 AM and 6:30 AM, and I expected rain. I had a great night's sleep, which was strange as I have had so much trouble sleeping the past few months. When I woke, I was surprised to see a mostly clear sky. The weatherman was predicting thunderstorms for the day. I was happy that they missed the forecast once again!  

The train ride to the start could have been more uneventful. Got to the start, went to the Biffs', and did the final race preparations.  I truly believed this was only going to be an attempt at best.  I have been a little down, thinking this would end my consecutive Grandma's Marathon attempts.  One side hoped injury would take me out, and the other was a fighter.  I hate to quit.  More than anyone I have ever met, I hate to quit or fail!

I was worried because the sun was hot. The forecast was 65 degrees for the day with scattered thunderstorms. It was 65 degrees at 7:00 AM, and the sun was scorching. Standing at the start grid, many of the runners already had sweat from the warmth.  

This year's race started 15 minutes early, at 7:45 AM, rather than the traditional 8 AM start. I knew that I needed to run smart to have a chance at finishing.

The race start was uneventful. Took over 7 minutes to get across the start line. I was doing a 12-minute mile without much worry. Had a heart rate of about 130. Not much to worry about.  As typical for longer activities, I followed the heart rate monitor as my pace guide. I kept the heart rate in the 130-140 range.

Everything was going along fine when, at six miles, I had a loud and painful clicking in my right knee.  It was like a ratchet.  Step after step...  Click, click, click... I started to get really concerned and changed my gate and rotation, hoping to ease the issue.  I walked for a while and tried to minimize the pain and odd feeling. Then, I started to run in various ways to ease the pain.  I found a really short shuffle that was pain-free.  After the half marathon mark, I realized my brisk walk was about a minute slower than the shuffle run, and walking did not hurt.  I was beginning to think, can I finish? I have to finish!

So, I proceeded to walk briskly. I was clicking off the miles at a 15- —to 16-minute per-mile pace. It was easy, and I had built a cushion. I knew I only needed a 19-minute mile average for the rest of the race to make the cut-off. I decided this was all about the finish rather than the time.

Everything was great until mile 22, when I felt both calves, the right thigh, and my lower back start to tighten up. I focused all my mental energy on each step, changing each step to ensure I did not get a cramp to stop me in my tracks. I had been taking S-Caps and felt I had completed a solid regimen to keep hydrated, so I just focused. I have always said the brain can overcome so much if you know how to use it!

Shelley met me at mile 24.5 and walked the rest of the way to the finish. It was a finish like so many others, only the slowest ever. I was not disappointed, nor was I happy. It was strange that for the first time I can ever remember, it felt like I had finished a day at work, and it was time to clock out and go home. I was not happy with my job but had no intention of quitting. 

Let's see what the next week holds, although I look forward to returning to the bike!  I am surprised my knee hurts much less than the week before the race.  I noticed that last year as well. It felt better after 26.2 miles than it does with zero miles… I really enjoyed the bike rides this past year and hope that someday, I will once again look forward to running and finishing Grandma's Marathon.  When that day comes, I will make it my last as I do not want to quit without my last one being a race I enjoyed, so that positive memory will stay with me for as long as I live.

Right now, I want to focus on fighting this infection again.  I do not feel much improvement after 6 days of Amox-Clav.  It looks like a stronger option is needed, and that will limit my activities.  But I need to take action as I wake up unable to see clearly for the first 10 minutes each morning, and when I lay down to watch TV or read, within minutes, everything is blurry.  As I wrote, this is my 9^th antibiotic rotation in 26 months.  I will fight and win that battle so I can win others.   

Thanks for reading, and may you all live happy lives and enjoy everything you do. Humans often take this blessing for granted, including me, who needs to feel blessed with the health, perseverance, and success I have had for over half my life, finishing Grandma's marathon. I still have a hard time comprehending 28 years… Wow!

Carry on, my friends.

Grandma’s 28? Now that is a young Grandma!

No, I do not mean a human Grandma, but the marathon in Duluth, MN. For some reason, thousands of people meet annually on the third Saturday in June for a 26.2-mile trek from Two Harbors to Duluth. This is the place where I have put my body at the start line for 27 years and managed to finish. I am beginning to think each time, the body was different…  

There have been a great variety of personal outcomes and race conditions over the years.  There were brutally hot races, a brutally cold race, and even one where the wind took down the finish line entertainment tents just hours after I finished.  My PR (personal record) and PW (personal worst) on this course are over three hours apart.  Yes I have averaged 8 miles per hour but also as slow as 4 miles per hour.  The race is different experience at each pace.

This is actually the 36^th Annual Grandma’s marathon, but my 28^th.  I know three people in their 60s have run them all. (I am not out of the 40s yet!)  I was not even a teenager for the first annual Grandma’s…  With 27 under the belt, I do not understand what makes me think I need 28!  Some think I need an intervention, some think I am overly competitive, and others wonder why I started in the first place.  Over the years, I have met other “streakers”…  In 2009 I ran with a women who was on her 23^rd.  I have a friend who is going for his 29^th consecutive finish.  In 1985, my goal was 25 consecutive finishes, but like those words from Forrest Gump, “for no particular reason I just kept going” or “I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going”.

This year will be a little tougher.  My right knee is painful, and I'm not sure why.  The pain is all around.  It needs to be more consistent.  Often feels better the longer I use it.  It may be a good sign?    Feels like a hamstring strain but also feels like it did when I had the meniscus issue.   I may have that checked after the marathon, as I did not want a medical finding to say I could not run this year.

Although, I have been waking in the morning with my vision being an issue again.  It gets so bad that I cannot read or watch TV when I lie down.  So I went to the Doctor late last month, had another check-up which led to another CatScan... we found out the infection I have been fighting since 2009 continues to impact my head.  For years now, seems like every 4 months, I am on a Prednisone and antibiotic regimen…  Seems like two or three weeks on and then 13 weeks off and back on again!  He wanted to put me on Levaquin again, that helped for about 5 months in 2010, but I could not risk taking that and running the marathon.  So Amox-Clav in the meantime…  If that fails (like it has in the past) then I will get back on that dreadful Levaquin.  I did refuse more prednisone as every time I am on it, it is 15 pounds added to the body!

I am sure the infection will make the marathon a little harder, but hey, 27 years in a row is more than 99.999 percent of all humans could do? That is still 700,000, so I may not be correct. Also, if the body fails, I will only have a reason to do it next year if I want to run it! The last time I looked forward to this race was in 2003.

Looking back over 28 years, things I recall from 1985 -- as it was my first Grandma’s and I set a goal of 25 consecutive years…

• I could not find a place to stay, so I stayed at the Best Western in Hinkley.
• Michael Jordan (Basketball) was a rookie in the NBA!!!!
• New Coke/Old Coke fiasco
• We celebrated the Dow Jones breaking 1,500!
• VH1 started
• Wade Wilson replaced Tommy Kramer as Viking quarterback.
• Dukes of Hazard was canceled. (Yes, I watched it…)
• Back to the Future (Movie) was released!
• We Are the World was recorded
• Billy Joel married Christy Brinkley
• But Moonlighting started (I always liked Cybill Shepherd)
• This is also MacGyver's first year. (I loved that show as well)
• I purchased my first computer – A Macintosh 512K – I PAID $2,100 OUCH!
• The world has 4.8 billion people

Between 1985 and now

• World population grew by 2.4 Billion people!  That is right...  BILLION.
• I lived in 4 states (North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Illinois)
• Six US Presidents (Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, William Clinton, George Walker Bush, Barack Obama)
• Four so-called stock market crashes…
• Ten Jobs (From a cook, waiter, manufacturing, sports official, retail sales to my current job as a City Planner)
• Lived in 14 different homes
• Went through 12 cars – Including my ex-wife and Son’s cars (Chevy Malibu, Ford Mustang, Honda 600 Sedan, Chevy Station Wagon, Dodge Daytona, Mitsubishi Expo, Ford Fiesta, Kia Sephia, Mazda Millennia, VW Passast, Smart Fortwo (twice))
• Went through 6 girlfriends, one wife
• Son was born, raised… now 23 years old
• Couple of marathons just over 3 hours
• A couple of 6-plus-hour marathon finishes, many in between

What a ride this has been!  

It is time to saddle up the old bones and head North.  Hope I can still enjoy the ride or at least do not fall off the horse.  I will once again (as I have done since 1999) sleep in the car, run it and come home.  Unlike 28 years ago, I feel it much more before, during and after…  

Carry on…

What... me run Grandma's again? And Finish?

In 1985, I set a goal, and last year, I made that goal, well, half the goal. I had a goal to run Grandma's and Twin Cities Marathon 25 years in a row. In my 13th year at TCM, my entry got chewed up by the postal service and returned to me weeks after the race. Never got entered and quite frankly, the cold and lack of understanding from the TCM staff really upsets me, even today, I always suggest people look at some other friendlier race! Anyway, last year I finished 25 Grandma's. (Click to see the post) I was not ever going to do that race again.

This, coupled with my knee surgery last July, my bike accident last July, stress at work, and then another surgery in mid-May 2010, I never envisioned I would run Grandma's, nor did I want to run it. Although I am a father first in life and would go to the end of the world for my son. He wanted to run the race and asked me to join him. I resisted feverishly. He continued to encourage me to consider it. Long story short, I entered.

Before I started the report, it was such a boost to see Wayne Nelson several times on the course. It really kept me positive. After seeing Lisa at Lake Street, I felt a wave of confidence. THANKS MUCH, YOU TWO!

As I said I would never do it again, I started my 26th consecutive Grandma's Marathon. Since last July, I have logged less than 20 running miles. I have over 1,200 miles on the bike and another large amount of walking miles, but so little running. I talked all week about there being no chance I would finish...

My son decided to run the first mile with me. A minimally impressive 12-minute mile with an HR of 130.  I was pleased with how I felt... Then, my son proceeded on his own to a 4:30 finish. On the other hand, a good goal would be the first 5 miles in 12:30 a mile or less, the next 5 miles in 13 minutes or less, and the same pattern to the end. This went well; for 16 miles, I started to feel blisters and cramps. I had been taking S-Caps and knew it was related to fatigue. So I decided to walk. Walk fast!!!

I was surprised to find I was clicking off 15:00 minutes of mile walking but could only muster just over 14 minutes of mile running. This was short-lived, as every mile I dropped 10-15 seconds. By mile 22, I was at a 16-mile mark, but a finish was within reach. I tried to jog but knew that was not a great idea. So I walked and walked and walked. The miles clipped one after another.

My son came back and met me at mile 24, and I had a full boost of confidence. He stayed with me to Lake Street, and then I got a second wind. The last two miles were in the 13-14 range, and I FINISHED #26. Coming across the finish line, I cried. I cried because I never, in my dreams, thought I would get past halfway. I cried because my own son encouraged me to do the seemingly impossible. I cried because it was over.

I feel almost like I did after 77 miles of the ST 100 in 2007. My feet look the same. I have a baseball-sized blister on the right foot and a smaller one on the left. But if that is the price I pay tonight, I am happy! I made my son proud less than five weeks after Surgery that put me out of work for a few weeks. It is a great feeling when you finish something that seems impossible.

Where does this take me? I do not know, as I will have to see what the next two days are like, but I have one big smile on my face tonight, even though my foot is pretty painful!

Carry on, my friends! Carry on!

Surf the Murph aid station report

I did not run Surf the Murph (with the excellent weather course I wish I had), but I had a blast at the horse aid station. Twelve hours went by very quickly. With great smiles and successes, I saw many friends complete their goals! (Where are the reports, guys and gals?)

The day started rough. Les had issues with the trailer, which resulted in getting me supplies until after 7 AM. Duke had reached the station before we even started unloading the equipment. Luckily, these lead runners have great support crews and rely little on an aid station, so it was not a major issue. That just proves even the absolute best planning and preparation can throw you a curve.

Then came another surprise. With this flu abound my two aid station volunteers did not make it. (There were three of us assigned for this location, which is actually two stops for the runners.) That in itself (being two aid stations in one place) was funny as when many were on the second (50K) or third loop (50 miles) at the first horse trailer aid station, and I said, "I will see you one more time" and many freaked out. They did not realize that the other side of the tree was the station they had visited earlier in the day... The expression was priceless... but I did not get a picture. The two volunteers who could not make it in the morning stopped by later in the day (husband and wife), and she looked like she needed to be home... I commend her dedication to trying, but at that time, the station was slow (all the marathon and 25 K runners had been through), and I encouraged them to go home and rest, and he took care of the wife. I hope she feels better soon!

I can not thank Kurt Neuburger and Caitlin enough for being there to see Carrie Neuburger in the 25K. Kurt was supposed to run but will have surgery soon and could not do so. They were a gift from God. Especially Caitlin, a veteran aid station expert at a young age (Early teens at best). Very mature and deserves many kudos. It was also great to see Caitlin do the last 4 miles with Carrie! I bet this was rewarding for both...

Kurt started a very nice fire, and we kept it going all day! It was so welcomed early in the cool hours and later as the sun started to set! I am not a Boy Scout and would have never got the fire going. I was told he used Vaseline to start the fire. That is a new one.

Mary Knutson finely ran the 25 K. As the workhorse, she immediately came to the Aid Station to help me. Her stomach did a nasty turn on her, and for over an hour, she was practically paralyzed in pain. I was so happy she worked through it, as the afternoon would have been really long without another person at the station to keep me sane! I just remembered that I had to tell her how much I appreciated the company!

Cindy was nice enough to deliver a large pizza to us mid-day. A few runners loved the idea of Pizza at the aid station. I may not have survived it, but I know they finished strong.

The costumes were cool. I've included a few below, but I missed one of the best (the outhouse!). I could only get the camera out when it was slow enough at the station.




Below is a slideshow of all the pictures I took. The link to download is http://picasaweb.google.com/peasemines/SurfTheMurph?feat=directlink. I'm Sorry I did not get photos of more of the runners! Running an aid station is demanding, and I know you understand!

Carry on...

Superior Blues

I had journeyed to the north shore for the past three years to run a looooonnnnngggg race. First, the 50 mile in 2006 was a success, and then 2 attempts at the 100 mile, where I failed. Although this year, sitting home watching the first football game of the season (a real bore), I can not help but think about the many friends and others who are about to venture out to finish a great race. It is a great race because of many factors, but in any event I have ever been involved in, the people make it great!

The core of compassionate, caring, and knowledgeable friends who put this on year after year is unmatched in any other armature event I have participated in. Larry, Don, Bonnie, Scott, Colleen, and others put that event on without pay. I want to maintain the great successes of all those who will finish, but with that core group and all the volunteers, they would start. They can never be thanked enough...

Good luck to all, and I am saddened that I will not be there with you running or volunteering. Life throws a curve ball, and I am smart enough not to swing.

Carry on...

Glad I am alive... REALLY

I was riding my bike Saturday when an unthinkable thing occurred. I still have yet to return to the scene of the crime (really no crime, just a phrase) to work out the entire details, but long story short, I had a significant bike crash. Not with a car or a truck, but I somersaulted over the handlebars and landed headfirst. The front wheel is totally crunched. A properly fitting helmet definitely saved my life. I wish I had a better memory of all the details?

My trail running experience also saved me big time. I quickly was in a tuck-and-roll position and hit the right front head first, the right shoulder, and then down the body. My face has a nice lump on the right temple and some minor scrapes. The right hand had the most blood, while the rest of the body was more of a scrapes and bruises issue. The most problematic result is a concussion. I was dizzy and lost sense of where I was after the accident. This had happened once before, so now two concussions in my life… I do not want another.


I cannot lift my right arm, but the ex-rays verified no breaks. I can not laugh without rib pain, but there are no breaks there, either. If I use my left arm to support the lifting, I can lift my right arm with less pain each day so far… I think if I could take Advil, I would not feel like I do, but as I have surgery soon, no anti-inflammatory… Bummer.


I can only think I would be dead without that properly fitting helmet. In a post over a year ago, I reported my friend Dana died from a bike accident and was wearing a helmet. I did not report whether the helmet was said not to be properly fitted. So, I guess in her death, I learned something that I believe saved my life? We can never tell the future, but the picture above makes the helmet look good. If you saw my helmet damaged and loose, you would agree.

So now I have more than one reason to rest after my surgery on Friday… I am lucky to only have a concussion...

Carry on...

25 down, none to go!

A POSTER I MADE FOR MY WALL IS ABOVE (Click to see larger view ... REPORT BELOW).  I need help finding it and wonder if there was a 1985 medal.

UPDATE: It was hot. 37 runners were hospitalized, and 7% of the starters required medical treatment.

NOTE (All pictures I reference in this post come after the post - Links to all photos I (or others) took is: http://picasaweb.google.com/runallday/Grandmas# )

Well, this is long… It could be boring. To summarize, I finished my 25th consecutive year at Grandma's. No clue how I did this year after year. This year was hot; well, that is an understatement. But I survived. I was emotional. I cried many times throughout the race and broke down in tears, coming into the finisher shoot. It must have looked strange to many, but it was so emotional for me! When I met Shelley at the finish, I bent over, covered my head, and cried… It was over! That is the short version. Much more later…

First, I want to start by looking back:

I recall things from 1985, as it was my first Grandma's, and I set a goal of 25 years…

I could not find a place to stay, so I stayed at the Best Western in Hinkley.
Michael Jordan (Basketball) was a rookie in the NBA!!!!
New Coke/Old Coke fiasco
We celebrated the Dow Jones breaking 1,500!
VH1 started
Wade Wilson replaced Tommy Kramer as Viking quarterback.
Dukes of Hazard was canceled. (Yes, I watched it…)
Billy Joel married Christy Brinkley (I had a crush on her!)
But Moonlighting started (I always liked Cybill Shepherd) – This is the first time I heard Al Jarau
This is also MacGyver's first year. (I loved that show as well)
I purchased my first computer – A Macintosh 512K – I PAID $2,100 OUCH!

In Between

I lived in 4 states (North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Illinois)
Went through 5 US Presidents (Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, William Clinton, George Walker Bush, Barack Obama)
Three so-called stock market crashes…
Nine Jobs (From a cook, waiter, and manufacturer to my current job as a City Planner)
Lived in 12 different homes
Went through 10 cars – Including ex-wife and Son's cars (Chevy Malibu, Ford Mustang, Honda 600 Sedan, Chevy Station Wagon, Dodge Daytona, Mitsubishi Expo, Ford Fiesta, Kia Sephia, Mazda Millennia, VW Passas)
Went through 5 girlfriends, one wife
Son was born, raised him, now 20…
Couple in the 3:20's finishes
A couple of 6-hour finishes, many in-between

Now for the report. I have been so obsessed with the race. I had worked hard for 24 years and did not want to lose the goal in the last race. I left Minneapolis, and it was an easy drive. We arrived at the expo at 8:30, and I picked up my number. Bittersweet, as it was my last time….

When we walked out of the expo, we saw the vendor who makes special racing bibs. See the picture (the one that says "25th Consecutive Grandma's, a Picture of Forrest Gump and run Londell run"). That's cool. I had to have it. We went for a little walk and then went into the expo to eat the food I brought and go through the bag to get set for the morning.

Everything looked good. We parked the car in the DECC parking lot and settled in for a nice nap. So many things were going my way.

Then I woke up. At 4:30 AM, the temperature was 62 degrees. As I slept in the car, I woke to the view of the moon over the adjacent building. It was cool! Then I got up.

I went to the bathroom three times! I was nervous. As I prepared, I remembered that I had to take my number. Then, at 5:15 AM, my biggest supporter asked, "What about your chip?" We had no clue! Two of us tore through everything looking, but it was not to be found. I quickly realized I might have left it on the table when we ate Friday night! What an idiot!

I ran all over trying to get into the DECC. No one could help me. At 5:40, I returned to the car, feeling just a bundle of nerves. I dumped my bag onto the asphalt parking lot and looked down, and there it was! Two of us went through that bag and missed it. I was about ready to have my first cry of the day. But all was saved, and I made it to the buses at 5:50 AM, 10 minutes to spare. This was the first time ever I did not have a school bus! A plush tour bus. Things were looking up!

The ride could have been more uneventful. I got to the start, went to the biffs, and my stomach was settled. I packed toilet paper in my bag anyway. But the sun was hot. The forecast was maybe 80 degrees for the day, and at 7 AM, the temperature was 72 degrees. I knew that I needed to run smart, not fast.

I went with the heart rate monitor as my guide. I was going along just fine and getting many comments about my streak. Then I heard a voice, "Are you Londell from Chippewa?" Carl Gammon's friend Janine Knutson was there. She was looking excellent. I was able to get a picture of her. (Thanks to Mike, I took a camera.) Shortly afterward, there was Greg Allen. Greg is on #26 consecutive Grandma's… SUPER. He knows what it is like to make it so many years, through thick and thin…

I kept the heart rate in the 120-135 range until about 15 miles. For example, a few years ago, it was elevated to over 155 at Afton, and I could not get it down. I knew the heat was taking its toll. I also knew 15-minute miles would get me in less than 6 hours. So I walked, ate ice, and rubbed my body with ice. After 20 minutes, I could start a walk/run pattern, walking for 3 minutes and running for 6 minutes. I met up with Katie Altrichter from Bloomington, IL. She was hurting, and I needed a friend. We helped each other the rest of the way. She is sure I helped her, but if she only knew, she would also be helping me so much. Good running buddies always make the run easier!

This walk/run plan and Katie kept me under the 15 minutes per mile I needed until mile 23.5. I started to feel cramps, and Katie was really worn. We decided to walk more as allowed and finish, which we did.

Shortly after 24, I got a big lift. Wayne was there and prepared to walk in with me. This was a lift I needed, and I decided that I was close enough to just keep running.

I saw so many people on the side of the road being treated for what I assumed were heat-related issues.; I saw more ambulances than I had ever seen in my 25 years, and people seemed to drop like flies! It was a war zone. It was not how I wanted to finish my last Grandma', but if you really think you can run 25 years in a row, you better be ready for anything.

I guess I was… This is an emotional time, and I cry as I write this… Now, it is time to rest and look for the next challenge… whatever that may be! But first, get the knee fixed and bask in the reward of accomplishing a goal I set so long ago! What a rewarding feeling!

Thanks to all who supported my effort. It meant more than you can imagine!

Carry on…