27 big 'uns! Three weeks 'til marathon #4

Today marked the peak of this training cycle and with as good as I felt during and after last week's 22, I opted to go beyond the scheduled 24 and just see what happened. Heading west on Hwy. 136 toward Delmar, I had initially planned to refill water bottles at the 6.5 mile point, but when I reached Delmar, I was feeling solid and had only drained 2 of my 4 10-oz. bottles so I simply swung north at Co. Hwy. Y60 toward Maquoketa. I was bent on running this road because A) I hadn't before and 2) it T's with Hwy. 64 and offers a 2 mile drop into Maquoketa. I wanted that downhill!

Things were fine all along Y60 and despite the rolly terrain, I enjoyed a strong tailwind. I felt good when I reached Hwy. 64 and turned left/west toward Maquoketa, but things quickly changed when I ran out of fluid at 9.5 miles with the nearest gas station 3.5 miles to go. Fortunately it wasn't hot, but it threw off my 45 min. SportBean schedule which really messed with me mentally and forced me to deviate from the original route of 29-30 miles. After rehydrating, I channeled my "inner Karnazes" and just started heading south and east, ultimately through the WalMart parking lot and onto gravel roads for a few miles before reaching my "home turf" of Hwy. 136 west of Delmar. 

Eating a lot of SportBeans, sucking down a lot of Nuun and water while also kneading the back of my leg and taking walk breaks, I began to come back a bit. It also helped to feel the wind change. I'm pretty sure some Guardian Angels helped out with that because except for the cross wind during the first 6.5 miles east to Delmar and again along Hwy. 64 west into Maquoketa, I either had minimal headwind OR received a tailwind from the west! Weird, but I was soooo grateful! By the time I hit the Delmar Casey's for another refilling of the bottles, I had 6.5 miles left.

Even though the blue skies and bright sun had turned grey and rainy, I rebounded well and opted to take a tip from the 2010 Cornbelt marathon training schedule and go for a 2 mile FF (Fast Finish) and was rewarded with negative splits! Though sore, I'm pretty psyched with today's run and VERY excited for my fourth marathon!!!

I got started about 9 a.m. and neighbors were already busy getting the fields ready for planting.

Despite innumerable times passing this farm, I don't remember it leaning so severely.

I adore Hwy. 136 between Charlotte and Delmar. The views never get old...

I love this shot...so Iowa.

Guess who CHOSE to not wear her gaiters?!!!!

On the east edge of Delmar, Co. Hwy. Y60 moves north. My original plan had been to stop at

the Casey's and refill my water bottles. With 2 of my 4 still full, I opted to cut the fuel stop

and just head north.  The strong tailwind made this leg a "breeze!"

About a mile after the previous pic, I was passing an enclosed cattle pasture full of

several moms and babies. The ditch was a steep drop from the road. When I looked

down, a wee lil' calf had squirmed through the fence! Initially I wondered if it was dead,

but when I called to it, the little thing lifted its head and then burrowed further under

the brush. While I would've loved to have gone down into the ditch, I knew I was unable

to lift and carry the little thing up the embankment so I hightailed it to the farm house

up ahead to let them know. Fortunately they were home and said they'd take care of it.

Just past the farm house, Y60 nears its T intersection with Hwy. 64.

Heading west, I fought a crosswind and thirst (I was out of fluid by this point) I had several

BEAUTIFUL views to greet me as I managed to enjoy the decent into Maquoketa.

Across from the horse, a "thicket."

Bah-ram-ewe! It wasn't until I downloaded the photo that I saw the birds overhead.

With the skies beginning to gray, I remembered the 50%  chance of rain predicted for

the afternoon. Ugh. At least I was able to enjoy the road's drop past Costello's Mill.

Costello's Old Mill. What had been an art gallery, it's now, according to it's website,

available for dinners and weddings. 

Having refueled at the Casey's on the east end of Maquoketa, I went south on Clark Street

past the old Clinton Engines building, now a museum, along E. Judson St. past the back

of the YMCA and south on Eliza past the Maquoketa High School football field to

Allen St. past Mt. Hope and Sacred Heart cemeteries.

Following Allen St. all the way into the back area of a feed and grain operation, I entered

Horseshoe Pond County Park where I headed along its stretch of Willow Trees

that serves as a sort of shield against the heavy traffic of Main St./old Hwy. 61.

Once on the road, I headed south toward WalMart.

Just as I was exiting the WalMart parking lot, I began to feel the first twinges

of a cramp that would plague me for much of the remaining 12 miles. From

WalMart, I followed the graveled 17th St. east.

With 17th St. turning south and becoming 211th Ave.

211th Ave. rolls left before heading back south while the 4-lane of Hwy. 61 is on the right.

I love old barns and structures.

No dog encounters today, but this tuxedo kitty was eager to greet me.

Ever since one of my "bitches" told me hay bales such as these remind her of elephants,

I think of Hemingway's short-story "Hills Like White Elephants."

Having reached Delmar, I paused to snap these gorgeous blooms.

Delmar's Railroad Depot

About 1.5 miles east of Delmar is a blind curve. I try to stick to the ditches and with the

grass still short, I was able to take the "high road." Unfortunately it had started

raining by this point and my feet got soaked. With 22 miles in by this point, who cares!

Spring Green is in full swing along Hwy. 136, made more lush by the light rain.

Was able to snap a local farmer moving equipment to another field. One of the things

I love most about running along this stretch of road is the friendliness! The vast

majority of drivers a friendly wavers and, when able, allow me wide berth!

Cows to right...

Cows to the left...enjoying the misty rain.

Home Sweet Home! (I know, wrong sport...)

What will it take for me to wear my gaiters?!!!!!

No Foolin', 21 miles&27 days 'til Champaign

Plagued with nausea yesterday, I was a little hesitant about today's 21 miler from my place near Charlotte, Iowa, to my parents farm, west of Grand Mound, Iowa. Fortunately the weather was GORGEOUS! Temps hung in the mid-60s, a cool breeze came and went, and a haze held a very bright sun from turning today into a grill-fest. (Despite sun screen, my face got scorched. At least it didn't feel as warm as my face looks.)

Having run this route last fall, there was really nothing new. I headed east on Hwy. 136 to the edge of "CharVegas" and then south on Hwy. Z2E or "The Humeston" as referred to by locals. Eventually I made a right and traveled west on 190th St. past my grandparents' farm, running over the 4-lane Hwy. 61 and past Welton until turning back south on County Rd. Y54 into Grand Mound where I turned right onto Hwy. 30 or "The Lincoln Highway" as was its original name, and to my parents' farm.

Felt very strong throughout and am ready for the final biggie on Saturday.

It's just a curve in the road, but it's adorned with all these road signs! :)

These weathered cat-tails caught my eye...

I loved the first half of today's run because the landscape is so hilly and rolly.

Thanks goodness, though, for that haze!

Cornflower blue...

I found these daffodils in a ditch. I don't think they grow wild in these parts.

I like the thought of someone randomly planting them...

My absolute favorite stretch of "The Humeston" is about 6 miles north of DeWitt, 7 miles

south of Charlotte, where a thick band of trees shade the road. I love it any time of year.

After passing my grandparents' farm and was about 2 miles east of Welton and my first of 2

Mountain Dew/water stops, I had my first canine greeting of the day. Looked Lab'ish

and just gave me a sniff before heading back to his porch. Two other dogs barked hellos

before my run would end. I'm pretty lucky to have only experienced GOOD dog encounters.

About 3 miles north of Grand Mound is a farm that I just think is so whimsical and pretty.

I envy their creativity, diligence and patience. I've tried to start 4 different flower gardens.

None of them have survived....weeding REALLY sucks!

31 days 'til Champaign: 15 windy miles

Today was a dial back in preparation for Sunday's 21 miler. As with the trainings for my last 2 marathons, I run the majority of my LRs on Wednesdays because A) I have that day off and 2) Hubs is at work and the kids are at school. It's worked pretty well for us compared to when I trained for my first marathon and ran my LRs on the traditional Sundays. I found it sucked too much time from the family. The kicker of running the Long Run mid-week is when the schedule closes in on the peak point. That's when I move the LR to the weekend.

The temps were much more agreeable then last week, but the west/northwest winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 30 were a bit of a challenge as I chose an out-and-back route to Delmar, west on Hwy. 136. I fought the wind for the first half and then was too fatigued to enjoy the tailwind for the second half. Oh well. I have to admit my 3 bone headed moves of the day: A) I failed to wear my gaiters and since the shoulders of the road were chiseled earlier this week, that meant plenty of dirt and rocks in my shoes (I think I stopped 3 times just to take 'em off and shake 'em out); 2) forgot to wear a sweaty band; and D) forgot a sweat rag. The last two I think were more major than the gaiters 'cause I'm a sweaty beast.

All in all, not a terrible run and nothing beats the greens of spring. Enjoy the pix!

Couldn't resist showing off my most excellently dirtied feet!!!!

About 4.5 mile into the run, this barren patch of sticks caught my attention. Upon closer attention

there were buds at the tips of the branches and I'd venture to guess this is a patch of sumac.

In an effort to escape the wind, I cut south on the last gravel road before entering Delmar

so that I could run the old railroad bed into town. It was very peaceful. In the park, I refilled

my water bottles and decided to head up to the restored depot museum. The museum pays

homage to the Orphan Trains that came through this area 80+ years ago. Back in the '90s when

I worked in journalism, I had the honor of meeting one of those children who had been given

up by his birth family on the east coast and shipped west on one such train where local families

would look over the passengers and pick one to maybe be a son or daughter or

in this person's case, be a farm hand. It was so sad.....

A "beached" rail car.

An easterly view of Delmar's city park from the rail car.

Wandering through Delmar I opted to run along a property line and enter St. Patrick's Cemetery

from the south. I stopped to visit a cousin's grave and just soak in the peace I find present

in cemeteries. Call it morbid or call me Maude, but I enjoy the serenity of grave yards.

I'm a sucker for old trees like this one in St. Patrick's Cemetery.

While it may be a little early for these gorgeous blooms, it made for great eye candy today.

Couldn't pass the farm with the cows without pausing to say Hi to the new calves!

Given that traffic is a constant along this highway, I tend to run alongside or in the grass.

See how the shoulders have been churned up? When it was done last year I found a

purse full of cash! Alas, good citizen  that I am, I turned it over to the sheriff's department. 

Nothing much turned up today...though I was happy to NOT find our two dogs who went

on "walk about" Tuesday night and have been AWOL ever since. Yeah....not good. =(

Like Hubs noted last week, "there's nothing like the green in spring!" Maybe because we're

deprived of color for many months, but he's so right, the green is beeeeautiful right now!

I've always loved this little bridge and am grateful that whoever owns this land hasn't

removed it. They simply farm around it. While near the old railroad bed (that can been seen

behind it) I believe this was an actual road. Because the old bridge is now home to tall grass

and other flora and fauna, I'm reminded of New York's green space effort called The High Line

that I saw while biking Manhattan in 2010. Communities like the West Village and

Meat Packing district have turned abandoned railroad beds into green spaces. Very cool!

Dirt? Bring it!

5.5 weeks 'til Champaign: 19 miler

After last week's epic scratch of the 18er, I celebrated St. Patrick's Day running the 25k portion of the 2nd Hawkeye 50/25k trail race around Lake Macbride. The unseasonably high tempetures have me totally cashed. If it's not mongo head winds, it's temps over 80. Winds I expect. Heat I do not.

Today I headed west from home along Hwy. 136. I didn't get going until 8:30 a.m. and the sun was burning hot. At 4.5 miles, I noticed road work up ahead so opted to turn back. With the water bottles on empty, I went home and refueled with Sport Beans and Nuun electrolyte tabs and hopped on "Newman" (my treadmill) for 8 more miles. I finished today's 19er with a 2-mile walk/jog combo with my daughter who's gearing up for a 1 mile fitness test at school.

As fields like these green up, more and more cows are being let out to pasture.

I'm not sure, but I think a type of fly treatment rub gets hung from this structure.

I love farms viewed beyond stretches of hills and dales.

 Don't ya' dig the early buds. The green is so vibrant it's almost neon!

Despite the greening, there's a whole bunch of bare out there.

I love when roads look like ribbons or waves, gently rolling along...

Momo in some new tennies. And how 'bout those socks! I told her if she takes a liking to running,

we'll make the drive north to Dubuque's Shoe Shack for a proper fit! They are WONDERFUL!

She thought we should note the rules of the track.

DONE-SKI! (I really hope she finds herself a runner!) 

"Breezy" 17er - 7.5 weeks to Champaign

After last week's step down, it was time to ramp back up with a 17 mile run today. I lacked a game plan for today and thus chose the Clinton Rec Trail, again. The headwind from the south waxed me on the first 4 miles and from that point, it was a bit of a trudge-fest up into Eagle Point Park. After enjoying the downhill return to my car, I threw in the towel at 12.2 and ran the remaining 4.8 miles on the treadmill at home.

Having started near St. Irenaeus Church, I traveled south on the rec trail

and toward the Mississippi River. I'd never noticed this view before!

Once I got into the tree-lined portion of the rec trail beside the river it was

ALL EAGLES, ALL THE TIME! I couldn't get close to this mom, nor did I want to,

and just tried to zoom in as close as possible. She didn't budge at all. Once I got

home and started looking at pictures, we can now see why she stayed put!  

This was my view of her from the rec trail. Pretty hard to

pick her out from this vantage point.

There were absolutely OODLES of eagles out today! At one point, I counted 8 on the ice

and a solid dozen in the nearby trees. Was pretty psyched to have caught this pic.

I eventually ended up channeling Dean Karnazes and doing some off-roading

to the point of that land mass behind them!

Aren't they awesome!

I was super excited to be on this strip of land. Very cool to be the only one out there.

This was the view of the rec trail from the nose of this little island.

Note the Showboat Theater.

Beaver!

Decide to continue the off-roading for a mini little jaunt

beyond the north end of the rec trail.

The opposite view of the tracks. That's St. Irenaeus Church in the background.

It was one of several the local catholic diocese closed. Fortunately

the structure was saved and last I'd heard it would be utilized as a museum.

The inaugural 'When the Saints Go Marching In 5k' was held last Memorial Day.

I missed it, but my husband and kids all placed in their age groups!

After tackling that long climb up into Eagle Point Park, I shuffled

along on the park roads. On Monday, several patches were still snow and

ice covered. Today? All clear, but the roads were still closed to traffic.

Every kid needs to visit this castle, it's just plain fun!!!

While in Eagle Point, the sun came out and lighted up the gorgeous

vistas of the Mississippi. See y'all next week!!!