Thursday, January 3, 2013

Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Legs - LIVE

4:07PM - Man, the last few hours just flew by the instant that Fil and I got to the marathon expo at 12PM in Jackson, MS.

The first thing that we noticed was how dead quiet it was in the area. It was eerily quiet and not something you would expect the day before a 2000+ person event.

The area around the expo can be best described as being old, worn, but yet still showed some sign of dignity of a bygone era. The condition of the road surface was the most apparent eyesore.

This worried me a bit as it reminded me of the road surface that I experienced at the Cranberry 50K. That road surface chewed up the bottom of my feet and turned it into hamburger meat. I'm hoping that the majority of this marathon course is not in similar condition.

The expo itself was very, very low-key, but still well organized. We got our BIB #'s, our t-shirts, our swag bags, a few race day items, and we were in and out in less than 30 minutes.

The weather was much more comfortable now, and I'm hoping that it remains for at least another day.

After the expo, we grabbed a beer at a local dive bar, got some lunch (thankfully, not McD's) further outside the city, picked up some more race morning supplies, and went to our hotel to check in by 2PM. We searched our room for dead hookers. I'm happy to report that none were to be found.

I proceeded to take the best shower of my life to wash off the past 24 hours of travel. Fil did the same and now he's deep asleep, while I sit here typing away. We have dinner plans with fellow runners from MA, Gail and David Martin, at 6PM.

On a side note, I've completely lost all sense of time at this point after being awake for more than 30 hours. I'm hoping for a good night of sleep tonight because my nerves are starting to kick in. In less than 14 hours, I'll be toeing the line for a shot at another sub 3 in another state.

One thing's for sure: I ain't coming back to MS.

This will be my last post before I do the final write-up of the trip after I get back. Thanks for tuning in, and thanks for sending me positive vibes.

I'm hoping to play like a champion tomorrow.

9:51AM - WELCOME TO MISSISSIPPI! Almost exactly 24 hours after we started this hellish journey. Now where's the nearest McDonald's?

9:26AM - Two hours to go before we reach ground zero. Fil appears to be a little despondent right now, but I think he's just constipated from the grits burger that we had at the last stop. The sun is shining and the temps are in the 30's. This is most likely what tomorrow will be like during the race. If so, then it's going to be ideal for an attempt at another sub-3. I've been wearing my compression leg sleeves since leaving Ayer yesterday, and I think that's helping me stay loose. Now if only I can have a bowel movement that doesn't hurt like a mofo.

8:44AM - I would kill for some toilet paper right now.

9:20AM 8:20AM - I drove so fast out of Atlanta that we gained an hour at some point. Fil is already complaining of jet lag. We are currently well on our way to Jackson and the limits of our sanity. The only sleep that I've managed over the past 24 hrs was during my turn at the wheel. We plan on going to the marathon expo and then checking into the hotel before grabbing some lunch at McDonald's. Dinner will also be at McDonald's.

5:00AM - ATLANTA!

3:28AM - They say that the most important night to get a good night of sleep, before a marathon, is two nights before.  We're fucked.

1:28AM - Technology is amazing. I was just able to order a juicer (Omega J8006) at 1:30 in the morning on my smart phone while traveling down the highway at 80 mph in my pj's. Now if only technology can make Portuguese music tolerable.

12:15AM - Everybody's asleep.  Here's my chance.

DAY 2

11:15PM - I have to be honest here. Behind all of this Fil bashing is a lot of pain. I didn't expect to be in this much agony sitting in a car for 12+ hrs, so far. It'll be a total of 24+ hrs by the time we pull into Jackson. The tight quarters,  fast food,  lack of sleep, and Portuguese humor.  There's only so much one can take before you begin to have bad thoughts. And then we have to run a marathon? This will not end well for one of us. I think Fil is onto me.  He won't stop staring at me.  He wants my last GU. I can't sleep tonight. Why won't he stop staring at me.

10:52PM - Scott Graham just told me to keep the blog going. No sleep til Biloxi.

10:00PM - Fil just discovered the Yelp app on his phone.  Hilarity ensues as he learns how to use it to find the nearest strip joint. 7 hours to go before we reach the Gold Club in Atlanta.

8:30PM - Just finished watching excellent documentary "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" on Netflix. HIGHLY recommend. Now to find me a green juice.

6:30PM - Only the best when you travel with Fil.  We just stopped at a quaint, local eatery called "Wendy's". DC traffic looks bad as we head back south.  Must be all of the politicians back in the Capitol, hard at work making sure that we fly head first over the cliff. We should be officially in the South in about 20 mins as we cross over The Line, putting us behind enemy lines. Time to cowboy up.  Yippy Kay Yay...

4:55PM - Getting warmer, but not much warmer. Gail Martin, already down at the race site, is reporting pretty cold temps. It's forecasted to be a high of 30 degrees for race day. For once I am glad I'm a runner from New England.  The locals will think we are nuts dressed in just a singlet and shorts.

4:04PM - Already running on fumes and we still have 11hrs to go on the first leg of this trip. We're almost to our next rest stop in Maryland. I'm ready to throw in the towel. I've been told by Fil that this next stop will have fresh Cinnabons,  so I'm going to tough it out a little bit longer. This better not disappoint.

3:41PM - Now leaving Delaware.

3:40PM - Now entering Delaware.

3:15PM - Fil just shit his pants. Windows will not roll down.

2:40PM - I swear that this Portuguese joke CD is in English,  but only Fil is laughing. I would repost some of the jokes on here,  but it just wouldn't be as funny without having Fil explain why it's supposed to be funny.

2:07PM - Fun Fact: Portuguese music is quite enjoyable if you are deaf. Bonus Fun Fact: Fil doesn't realize he's tone deaf in two languages.

1:49PM - Fueled up and ready to continue this really bad idea of a trip.  Fil is now at the helm of the SS Faria.  We should be dead by Maryland.

1:20PM - Now entering New Jersey and another migraine. New pet peeve: people asking if I'm trying to nap when I'm trying to nap.

12:55PM - Welcome to New York. Now entering the 9th circle.

12:20PM - 2hrs into the trip and we're already talking about poop. Oy vey. Today I learned that Fil gets real gassy on long road trips.

12:04PM - Bash just poked me on Facebook.

11:45AM - 15 hrs until we get to Atlanta.  I can already tell that this is going to be more painful than running 26.2.

11:15AM - Just left MA and entered NH.  WTF?

10:30AM - I should have updated my will.

10:28AM - My chariot just arrived for the trip south to the Mississippi Blues Marathon with Fil.

The current plan is to hitch a ride down to Hotlanta with the rest of the Faria clan,  rent a car,  and drive over to Jackson,  MS by Friday afternoon. The race itself is on Saturday morning.

Feel free to check in over the next four days as Fil and I make our way into the heart of darkness.

I promise to turn on auto correct when Fil is blogging.

2 comments:

  1. Toe the line J, don't tow it. You've already got enough extra weight to haul down the course. Kill it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You had to kill my buzz. Thanks, wb.

    ReplyDelete