I'm A Traveler - Knoxville Marathon

I’m just a runner on this earth
Sure as my heart’s behind my technical shirt
I’ll just keep running till I’m in the dirt
‘Cause I’m a runner, oh, I’m a runner
I couldn’t tell you, I don’t know How far I’m going but I’ve got to go
‘Cause every turn reveals some other road
And I’m a runner, oh, I’m a runner

My heartbeat’s rhythm is a lonesome sound
Just like the rubber tapping on the ground
Always lost and nowhere bound

I'm a runner

I'm a Traveler - Chris Stapleton adapted to running

I'm a Traveler was one of the songs filling my head while running the Knoxville Marathon a couple of weeks ago. In both regards, I'm a Traveler and I'm a Runner fit perfectly with my marathon journey's. I've traveled to all 50 states and ran a marathon in each. In most of those cases, the traveling was as fun and momentous as the run.  Since 2010, my traveling partner (and sometimes running partner)  has been Cynthia Anne, overseeing my last 41 marathons but more importantly being traveling companions across the country always finding something unique in each locale.

I've always wanted to run the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon primarily to finish in Neyland stadium, home of the University of Tennessee Volunteers and one of the largest stadiums in the country, seating 107,000. It is probably because I wanted to re-live my football playing days and feel the turf under my feet while running to the 50 yard line and nearly having as much pain as in the 4th quarter of a hard-fought football game - bruised, battered muscles.

Since I had never been to Knoxville, I didn't know what to expect from a course perspective.  All I had read was about how hilly the course is, one runner commenting that it was the toughest road course he had run. Generally, I like a rolling course so I was going to manage the hills  (ascents and descents) the best I could. Frankly, for me these days, running downhill is tougher than running uphill. I also like a lot of turns (yes, I know, faster runners don't) because it keeps my interest. Knoxville had both and is partly why I ran my best marathon in nearly a year in 4:34. Although 4:34 doesn't sound great, my age-graded time, being 56, clocks me at 3:53, which is right around my best marathon times.

It wasn't just a marathon weekend. I registered Cindy and I for the 5K which took place on Saturday evening and finished also on the 50 yard line of Neyland stadium. It was fantastic to see all the folks who came out to be active and participate over 3.1 miles of moderately hilly terrain and to have the same experience finishing in the stadium. Cindy and I ran-walk together finishing with out-stretched arms for being the champion that she is. With two artificial hips, she still puts up a good fight and challenges herself on each run. She finished in good time - 45:45, 17 out of 70 in her age group, 548/1315 overall female and 185/532 masters. I was proud of her tenacity and heart.

For me, all things equal, weather makes the biggest difference in a marathon. Humidity kills me and makes for a long drawn out miserable day. The weather in Knoxville was perfect for me, low humidity, temperatures in the 40's to low 50's at the finish. The Holiday Inn World's Fair hotel sits right on the starting line and less than a mile from the finish, wonderfully convenient logistics.  We drove part of the course on Saturday just to find a particular hill which we noticed at the expo had t-shirts emblazoned with its name. Any hill that gets it own t-shirt is worth a look.  Yes, it was steep and pretty long but being at the 7 mile point still early enough to be manageable.  It comes after running the first few miles through the campus of UT, passing streets like Peyton Manning Pass and Pat Head Summit (UT women's hoops). Then we ran down by the Tennessee river on Neyland Drive to a neighborhood called Sequoyah Hills, a posh place with big, beautiful houses and cheering fans. Through Sequoyah, the course was rolling with more elevation loss than gain until you come to Noelton Hill where the climb in significant enough to be noticeable. Truly, the hills in Baltimore particularly around mile 19 is just as challenging and much later in the marathon.

The next memorable part of the course was a greenway that took us back to the city through wooded, rolling (although very short) hills. At around 12.5 miles, Cindy was waiting just outside the hotel in World's Fair park, another logistical pleasantry for runners and supporters.  The half-marathoners diverted back to the stadium for their finish as we explored the other side of Knoxville. It was nice to see Cindy and my run was going well reaching her in about 2:10. The other side of Knoxville wasn't as pretty as the areas that we ran through in the first half until we got to the later miles along the river and into the city. The course was also not as hilly but not really flat either and we had a long climb on one of the bridges to take us to the other side of the Tennessee river at about mile 20. Through 22 miles I was still on a decent pace to finish in 4:30, my goal time.

Miles 22-24 are run along the river  on the other side of Knoxville so the views were quite nice, particularly on a bright sunny day.  Once we crossed back over the river we meandered through the streets of downtown and ran through some of the famous areas such as Gay Street past the Tennessee Theatre and then into Market Square where people were having lunch.  I was wearing a University of Tennessee shirt and some co-ed's called out, "Go Vols!" It was energizing and I knew that the finish was coming in less than 1.5 miles.  To get into the stadium, I knew that I had to run down some pretty steep hills then up a prolonged hill before dropping into the tunnel.  There is nothing better for a finish than finishing in a stadium, particularly a classic stadium like Neyland stadium. Cindy was able to get down to field level.  As I ran out of the tunnel into the cavernous 107,000 seat stadium, Cindy was just around the corner at the end of the end zone.  After a stop for our traditional finish kiss, I ran the 50 yards to the finish and struck my football pose for the big screen in the end zone. Being a running back in football and being older, I knew how to do this from the classic football trading cards of yesteryear. I then plopped down for a picture on the famed orange and white checkered end zone. I slowed in the last 4 miles and finished in 4:34.

The food for the marathoner finishers was indoors with seating, a nice perk. Pap John's pizza, chocolate milk, chips, pretzels, fruit, and Rita's ice was all provided. For the first time in my last 4 marathons, I actually had an appetite afterward and enjoyed the grub. Leaving the stadium, we walked passed Peyton Manning locker room, and a tunnel of flags from SEC and national championships. It was a shot 1 mile walk back to the hotel and then off to the zoo.

Marathon weekends are always accompanied by other adventures. It was the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville so we took in a show at the famed Tennessee Theater, hiked Mead's Quarry at Ijams Nature Preserve (day before the marathon), went to the Knoxville Zoo (after the marathon, and ate at a few different restaurants in Market Square. The weekend was a real treat and highly recommended.

Overall, it was a fantastic long weekend and an easy drive. We're just travelers on this Earth.

What is a blog without pictures? And you are probably thinking, yeah, just show us the pictures, away with all this text that I can't read in 160 characters!

Market Square

Market Square Entertainment

More Market Square

Pre-marathon Restaurant

Playin' for some cash with his dog

Big Ears Festival

Famous Gay Street

What we are here for and home of the Expo

Starting Line Bridge

Noah's Ark

...with the animals onboard

Famous Tennessee Theatre

Stage for eighth blackbird with Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Bryce Dessner

Market Square at Night

Tennessee River - Neyland Stadium

Expo Time

Meade Quarry Ijams Nature Area

Views on the hike up the Mountain

Start of the Kids 26th mile run

Cynthia Anne all dressed to run the 5K

5K Start

Middle of the pack

Still going

5K Selfie with Cindy

Appropriate sign

Yay!! The Finish on the 50!

My Champ

Famed Orange and White Checkers

Marathon morning

Let's get this party started

Mile 12.5

Downhill before the uphill to the finish

Turning the corner for the last 50 yards

Football pose on the big screen

The real football pose

Home of the Vols

Paydirt

View from the 50

Zoo time with the elephants

Bad hair day - what's your excuse?

A cherished moment

Train Kept a Rollin' or Did It? Tobacco Road Marathon

There are a lot of choices for marathons in March.  It took me awhile to decide which marathon to run. Generally, I use the early year marathons as supported long runs to help me have better marathons later in Spring. The Tobacco Road marathon could be considered my "home" marathon. It's held on the American Tobacco Trail (ATT), a Rails-to-Trails project that now consists of over 22 miles of pavement and crushed gravel trail from downtown Durham to Apex spanning Durham, Wake and Chatham counties. Frankly, it is a wonderful resource for runners, walkers, bikers, dogs and even equestrian. When we moved to the area in 2012, the section from Scott King Road to Southpoint Crossing had not yet been completed which included a proposed bridge over I40. Later in 2013, the entire trail had been completed and made for one of the best running and biking areas in the Triangle. In the summer, it is shaded providing coverage from the brutal sun and in the winter it is open enough to feel the warm sunshine. The greenway systems in the Triangle are the best I have ever seen and many races are held on them; RACE13.1 Raleigh, RACE13.1 Durham, City of Oaks Marathon to name a few along with the Tobacco Road Marathon.

We live just 2 miles from the Scott King Road portion of the ATT which is basically in the middle of the trail.  Thus, I run on some portion of the trail nearly every weekend. That was the consideration.  Did I want to run a marathon on the trail that I run on nearly every weekend? I know the trail and I also know how monotonous it can be in the sections where the marathon is run. Don't get me wrong, it is truly a beautiful trail through a tunnel of tall North Carolina pines but it can be quite monotonous and deceivingly difficult. Flat and fast is how the website describes the course. Compared to the other local marathons like Umstead, City of Oaks, Rock n Roll, I guess one could describe it this way. However, it is not Wrightsville Beach Marathon flat but it is not hilly either. So, what is it? There are long stretches of inclines that appear to just keep going on and on and on. Conversely, since the marathon has two turn-around points at mile 8 and 19, you'll be running down the same long inclines to balance the elevation changes. If it isn't the long inclines it might be the long straight stretches that get monotonous.

The event is one of the best organized I have seen. When there was a threat of rain, they put up big circus tents for the runners to take shelter in both before and after the marathon. There appeared to be plenty of port-a-potties, decent food, great volunteers, good aid stations and some unofficial beer and moonshine stations. Packet pick-up was easy at the small expo. There is limited parking at the marathon site so they sell passes for you to park right next to runner's village, otherwise it is a 15 minute bus trip from NetApp parking area.  I had Cindy drop me off at the runner drop zone.  She then came back to the finish around the time I was to finish and was easily able to find parking at the runner's village.

Cindy and the dogs met me at mile 8.7 which is the turn-around at Scott king Road for the first out and back. It was also an aid station supported by volunteers of our Parkwood Muslim community. It was great to see them sponsoring an aid station and they did it with diligence and enthusiasm. I didn't fair well in the marathon. It was warm and humid for mid-March. I knew by mile 8 drenched in sweat that the humidity was going to be an issue.  Of course, my last few marathons have not been pleasant and this one was no exception finishing in 5:27.  To me, it is hard to fathom the times from my last 3 marathons but it is what it is and I have still finished in the time allotted. So the train on the tobacco trail stalled but I finally pulled it into the station with Cindy's hand in mind as we both crossed the finish line together.

Would I run this again? Likely not as a marathon but maybe as a half. The only reason I wouldn't is because of running on the trail nearly every weekend. However, I would highly recommend it for other runners.

Enjoy the pictures.

Pre-race meal with Maniacs Kevin, Kathy and Diane

USA Baseball

Sporting Sandstone - new InknBurn

At the start

Waggin' Wild

Casey got his introduction to competitive running in the Waggin' Wild 5K on March 5. Gabby got her introduction to crowds, dogs and humans alike. Both did great! I have run miles with Casey before including a few 3 milers.  Although he has a little greyhound in him, he isn't the fastest paced runner. Of course he is a big dog, big enough that he won an award at the Waggin' Wild for largest dog.  He's lean and tall but because he is mostly Great Pyrenees, he is a solid, strong dog - a gentle giant with a laid back demeanor, as they are known.  However, being Pyrenees, he is a protector of the perimeter. When he is home, any approach to the house is welcomed by deep, loud "my house" kind of barking. Gabby, a spaniel mix, has an opposite personality, happy-go-lucky, "I'll lay in anyone's lap" kind of dog.

When Casey and I run alone, I need to coax him and sometimes even pull him. I wasn't sure how he (or I) would react in a competitive race which included dogs.When we lined up for the start and as Cindy and Gabby watched, he seemed a bit shy, or like all of us in races, having some nervous energy. So, the horn sounds and off we go.  To my surprise, he really wants to run and he runs with a perfect four-legged gait. The first mile felt really fast compared to our training runs, maybe around a 9 minute mile (I forgot to start my watch.) At one point I had to say, "hey boy, slow down, you are going too fast!" I used a 2 foot leash which kept him by my side and out of other runners' way, particularity on the two down and back's.

The first mile included a climb up a hill and then back close to the start where Cindy and Gabby were waiting to see their favorite fellows and for us to see our favorite gals.  Casey noticed "momma" right away and as we ran past started to turn around and look.  Casey always likes to look for momma, even when she is not there. Finishing up mile 1, he slowed to a normal pace as we traversed a lake over a wooden bridge.  Like all of us who start out too fast, Casey seemed to be feeling the effort. We get to the turn-around at mile 2 and I showed him the water bowel to see if a drink was in order. He wasn't interested so we continued our merry way. For the last mile, I did have to gently pull him a bit, in an easy coaxing kind of way, always saying, "who's a good boy, who's a good boy?" He looked at me like, "I am Dad, I am!" By this point we had actually passed a decent number of runners, those with and without dogs. At the finish line awaited Cindy and Gabby cheering us on as we made the last strides uphill to cross the chip-timed 5K finish line.  "Yes!", just under 30 minutes at 29:48 which is 6 minutes better than our practice times. It was a fine run for Casey in his first competitive 5K.  After crossing the finish line, a lady came up and asked me his name as he was going to get the award for largest dog. I've run hundreds and hundreds of races with one third place age-group award and he wins an award the first time out.  Gabby was just loving the people always thinking that they were there to pet and play with her. She would just cuddle up in the laps of strangers and make herself at home.

Of all the events I have run, including marathons in all 50 states, these types of moments stand out as the best, just like when I ran with Bree two years ago in Cincinnati at the diaper dash. Those 25 yards and this 5K are moments to be cherished.  There are many other moments like these that stand out more than my own achievements.

Loving Pet Inn Adoptions was the recipient and sponsor of the event. The Waggin' Wild Facebook page is here and Cindy (in red) is seen on the banner walking on the course with Gabby. There are also a lot of pictures here from one of their volunteer professional photographers. I've included some of our own pictures below. Particularly enjoy the last one.

Going on an adventure

Casey's first packet pickup

Gabby getting attention

Cindy and the pups milling around

Casey focused for his run

Gabby reading signs

I wanna go

The winner of human and dog

Here we come, "where's Momma?"

Will you pet me?

Casey receiving largest dog award and looking at me for approval

A man and his dog

Family shot

Gabby Noelle

I like everybody!

The boy is proud to be largest dog!

Momma and her kids!

Maybe Casey didn't like his results or maybe it was running 3.1 miles he didn't like