Seagulls on the sands at Myrtle Beach - none had a message for me

An old friend, Kenneth Roberts drove up from Florida to travel with me to Myrtle Beach. After I finished work after 4 pm on Friday, we headed south on I-95 with directions printed out from mapquest.com. Four hours later, I was getting at the Hyatt getting my bag of freebies for participants, as well as tickets for the post marathon party, my chip, marathon shirt and runner's bib which assigned me the number, 1650. Then we checked in the Quality Inn by the Shore (1301 N. Withers Dr., Myrtle Beach, S.C.) where I had made reservations online. Since it was off-season, the room rate was only $39 per night - though demanding, long distance running and participation in races is not a high budget sport.

...

The Atlantic Ocean as seen from the balcony at the Quality Inn by the Shore

After getting our stuff up to the room in the hotel and checking out the view of the Atlantic Ocean from the balcony, we decided to go for dinner. Just across the street we talked to a group who recommended Pier 14, which was on the beach just down the alley between hotels. There we ate dinner during high tide to the sight of ocean waves splashing up against the pilings and a solo guitarist singing against tracks of pop/rock tunes. With intent to get in a few more 'carbs' on "Marathon's eve", I ordered a vegetarian Primavera dish on pasta with salad.

Pier 14 Restaurant over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean just across the street from the Quality Inn by the Shore.

I found the meal very satisfying and I pass the recommendation on as it was made to us. In the hotel room after dinner, I opened the bottle of Pinot Noir which I had brought along and drank a glass to close the day.

back to the beginning of February 21, 2004

I am not a stellar long distance runner, but I have learned a few things from experience and I know there are others who are considering long distance runs.   The following section is a down to earth description of the steps I follow in preparation on the morning of a marathon. This might be of greatest interest to anyone who is contemplating going the 26.2 miles distance. For experienced runners or disinterested readers, you might want to leap down to notes from the actual marathon.

Preparing on the Morning of the Marathon With a Few Unsolicited Product Endorsements and Recommendations

• Care of the Feet   The first step in preparation for the morning of the marathon was to check toenails. If there was any palpable corner or sharp edge, then I trimmed the nail. Further, fine skin tape and applied it to the shorter of each pair of adjacent toes so the nail bed would not have any direct contact with the adjacent toe. Otherwise, one can get the equivalent of a bloody laceration in the side of the toe with repetitive rubbing by the corner of the nail bed.
• Pre-treatment with "Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion For Dry Skin" on the morning of the marathon.
  • Initially, I rubbed Intensive Care thoroughly onto each foot (except on the toe bandages) until the dorsum and soles feet no longer felt greasy. Then I put on a pair of double layered, fine seam socks (which I bought at the Chicago Marathon). I wear the socks inside out for long runs - this reduces rubbing or irritation over the toes since the smoother surface of the sock is the outside.
  • Secondly, I applied Intensive Care Lotion to both legs and thoroughly in the mid-section where opposing skin surfaces may come in contact. Once the lotion seems 'absorbed', I put on a pair of Spandex shorts (see * below).
  • Finally, I applied the lotion thoroughly to the nipple areas and armpits and insides of the arms, sides of the chest and around the collar area. If one has significant areola prominence, then applying band aids as do some runners may serve to protect the nipples from a rub burn. I put on a sleeveless t-shirt. Some runners even apply band aids protect the nipples. Oddly enough, the left nipple and the tip of the forth toe on the left foot were the only focal areas of skin that got sore from chaffing during the marathon.
• (from * above) In the past, I wore standard male athletic supporters for all sports in which I participated. However, I found the fabric of the "pocket" caused rub burns of the high inside of the thigh on long runs. Prior to running the Richmond Marathon in 2000, I switched to spandex trunks worn under outer wear (I think it is too revealing for men to wear spandex as outerwear). With that keeping things relatively stationary and in place, I had no trouble. Spandex are available from Target in the women's clothing section. If of the masculine persuasion and you find this too embarrassing, then have a trusted female (if you can find one) buy a couple of pairs for you.
• Similarly, I carefully choose running shorts or pants that have no heavy seams on the inside - any raised or prominent aspects of the inside of sports clothing can erode the skin after thousands of strides. Even with standard 'outer wear' such as track shorts, one can get irritation of the skin of the thigh with very long runs. It is very handy to have pants or track shorts with pockets - I like to use safety pins to affix my car key to the bottom of a pants pocket. Some runners wear belts with small pockets for packets of power gel and small water bottles - these probably have a way to secure a key as well.
• For this marathon, I decided to wear the marathon shirt, which was given with registration. Some wear 'gortex' type materials that 'breathe' or wick perspiration away from the skin but I have always worn cotton/synthetic blends for hiking and running. The shirt I choose to wear was long sleeved and suitable for temperatures in the range of 40 ° F. (>4.4 ° C). As it turned out, with my long sleeved shirt and the long legged running pants (which I bought at the Chicago Marathon in 2001), I was much too warmly dressed for this particular February day at Myrtle Beach - the temperature got up to the high sixties Fahrenheit by the late morning.
• One of the freebies I received at marathon registration was a sealed packet of Bull Frog Sunblock "Superblock SPF 45 Lotion with titanium dioxide" (distributed by Chattem, Inc.; P.O. Box 2219, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37409-0219). This is purportedly sweat proof and waterproof and provided UVA & UVB. After shaving my whiskers (an optional activity prior to a long run), I applied Bull Frog Sunblock to my face and neck, hands and wrists prior to the run and it worked great.

  Once I got a sunburn sitting in a shady spot on a beach just from reflection of sunlight off of sand...

  I liked Bull Frog so much, I am going to try to order some directly.
• Finally, I put on my running shoes!
  New Balance shoes with two gel heel supports stacked in the back of each shoe. These made much more tolerable the over 57,000 strides in which one foot of the other strikes hard pavement during the course of a marathon. I only wish I had had a bit more shock support under the ball of my foot - my shoes are several years old and the intrinsic support and shock absorption seem to decrease over time. One of the gel supports I bought in 2001 before the Chicago Marathon and the other was a Dr. Schol's product from Target. Not having tried it before, stacking the two gel supports under the heel was a bit risky - but it worked well As I tied my running shoes, I looped my shoelaces through the 'holes' on the plastic 'chip' to secure it for the next 26.2 miles.
• A bit earlier, I had taken a "nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory" (NSAI) called Bextra (a COX II inhibitor) to prevent musculoskeletal inflammation and associated soreness. As a last step, I took a couple of TUMS and then brushed my teeth. I put a pair of clip-on sunglasses in my pocket - as it tuned out, I never put them on for the whole race. I grabbed a pair of cheap, brown, cotton gloves to keep the hands warm, an elastic headband to cover the ears and forehead and a baseball cap and drove several miles to the starting point of the marathon.

• back to marathon preparation
• back to the beginning of February 21, 2004

The following is a description of my experience during the Myrtle Beach Marathon from my feet (physiologic) to the "in my head" aspects (mental)...
If you wish, proceed on to the after the race and overall evaluation of the Myrtle Beach Marathon February 21, 2004

I spent the first part of the run observing the wide variety of styles of runners. There were joggers, swaggers, prodders and prancers, walkers and sprinters, stiff short steppers and quietly gasping pushers. Participants were of a wide range of ages from a few teens, many twenty somethings, more middle aged and quite a few elderly. Some of those older runners were extraordinary - one 70 year old man ran the 26.2 miles in just over 3 hours. Some were quite thin but most runners were of normal build including the gentleman from Logansport, Indiana who won. Some were stocky, almost chunky but no one was obese. Some of the ladies had a bit of womanly baby fat but I have seen many women who overdrive those few extra pounds with a lot of heart, running with surprising strength. After several miles, the course turned down Ocean Blvd. Though shaded by hotels along the beach, we could still see the vast blue expanse of the ocean as the sun rose higher in the East. I found it exhilarating to run on the flat roads in sight of the Atlantic, breathing fresh ocean air to the shuffling of a herd of feet slapping pavement. I passed the hotel and waved in case my friend, Kenneth was watching - as it turned out, he was sleeping in. I carried my cap in my hand for the first 2 hours until the sun was unavoidably high in the sky. The route led back by the starting point where the larger part of the hoard finished their half-marathon. As the second loop began, a much smaller group remained, consisting of full marathoners and relay team members. It was then that I developed a cramp in my right calf. I pushed on though intermittently it felt like a fist with knuckles knotted up in a tight grip. By mile 14, I wished I had some padding under the ball of my right foot - the roads over those last 12 miles felt harder and harder.

It was during 'the second half-marathon' that I began to experience 'the loneliness of the long distance runner'.

Perhaps the most fun thing for me in past marathons was the conversations I enjoyed with fellow runners. Marathoners are an interesting lot, coming from backgrounds that defy stereotyping. One generalization I can draw regarding participants in marathons is that you won't find slackers, nor riff raft - these are men and women more than a cut above the rabble.

What's new?
How is the world treating you?
You haven't changed a bit
Lovely as ever, I must admit.

Hydration and conserving one's glycogen are essential for running marathons without running out of steam. I slowed to a walk at every offering, drinking down a cup of water from the right hand and a cup of Power Aide from the left.

I picked up speed for the last 1.2 miles and had enough left to push into a sprint through the last .2, smoking a few of those who had been ahead of me. I finished 725 out of 1169 with a time of 4 hours and 39 minutes - 9 minutes more than the time of my first marathon in Richmond in 2000 when I was 48 years old. I felt disgustingly average at this moment in my life. Still, I came back from a lousy injury - I had spent a period of 13 months during which I suffered pain (feeling like I had a shard of glass in my heel) every time I ran. Now I am healed.

At 52, I ran my fifth marathon without any serious or lasting pain and without any real injury.

When I approached the finish gate, I heard my name announced followed by the final squeal of the sensors as my chip crossed the treadle. I removed the chip from my shoe myself and threw it in a bucket. I started alone, ran alone, and finished alone. I felt bewildered for a bit, but then I noticed a lady volunteer with an armful of finisher's medals.

Surprisingly, I suddenly recalled a time in Louisville over 30 years ago when a short, wide man in a mismatched suit opened his coat displaying about 50 gaudy timepieces and guffawed, "Wanna buy a watch?"

back to the beginning of February 21, 2004

Standing on the beach the day after the Myrtle Beach Marathon

Overall Evaluation of the Myrtle Beach Marathon, February 21, 2004 I have never run a anything close to a perfect marathon but I am getting better. My main mistakes this time were dressing too warmly, eating too much food between breakfast and dinner the day before, and I really should have gotten new shoes about a year ago so I would have had better shock absorption under the ball of my foot. Pacing and timing during the marathon is very tricky and I do not wear a watch as I run. In Chicago, there was a 4 hour pace group which I shadowed until I hit the wall at 23 miles and came undone. There was no pace group here but my training wasn't up to a 4 hour marathon yet anyway. The Myrtle Beach Marathon is quite an excellent experience. Information was available online with a quality, user-friendly Web Site. They had a great force of 1200 friendly and helpful volunteers and all services were well managed. Water stations and Portajohns were conveniently located and adequately frequent. Municipal support and organization was strong. Public involvement in the form of crowd support was limited but at least as good as Charlotte in 2001. Most spectators were family friends and supporters and there were plenty of friendly townspeople watching - it would not be fair to compare public enthusiasm and interest in Myrtle Beach to large cities like Chicago. Myrtle Beach is easily reached and easily navigated. Hotel services were very economical during the marathon since it is held 'off season'. The course is flat and it was fairly comfortable (almost too warm) for February. However, the weather was BEAUTIFUL and it was a thrill to run with the Atlantic Ocean in view. I'd like to run the Myrtle Beach Marathon again someday.

back to the beginning of February 21, 2004

Traveling man, 83 year-old Kenneth Roberts standing at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean looking for a new girlfriend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

After the IMAX Theater and a dinner of broiled seafood, we went to the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach to the post-marathon party where they were serving pasta, salad and free beer for ticket holders Kenneth and I each had one beer. On stage and at various monitors around the concert hall, a 30-minute video played continuously, showing scenes from the various events (marathon, half-marathon, and shorter runs). That was a very commendable sponsorship by the House of Blues for the town's marathon races. I would like to go back there sometime for some live entertainment. After the party, I went back to the hotel and promptly fell asleep with my clothes on. I didn't even think to have a glass of my red wine I had brought along - I was out for a good nine hours.