Completing the Des Moines (Half) Marathon

Yes, Linda and I did participate in and complete the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon. We walked again and with less training than last year but we finished in a time that pleased us both. They altered the course this year to take us up by the capitol from the start. It was pretty impressive to see all those people making their way out ahead of us.

The weather was overcast and cool, great for a marathon as far as I'm concerned. Our limited training probably did set us up for a few more challenges but completing the thing helped me ignore the question about what we were thinking when we signed up. Having the experience of doing one last year prepared us more for the various little things that happen to your body along the way. This year did have a new twist in swelling in the hands. I talked about it before but Linda hadn't experienced it herself. We made it a point to get her hands up to shoulder level from time to time to help drain the fluids; it seemed to help.

As last year, it was very pleasing to cross the finish line. The medal is a nice token but the real reward is knowing we can still do it.

Watching sailors while we walk at Gray's Lake

Linda and I went back to Gray's Lake to log a couple more miles before we really start training in earnest. While we were there, we enjoyed watching two women on what appeared to be one of their first sailing adventures. It looked like they knew some parts of the sailing experience but probably learned a few as well. It took them a while to get things pointed in the right direction but once they did, they moved along nicely. It's not uncommon to see boats sailing on the lake but we don't often see them put in or take out. It added a sense of connection.

Taking a Walk in the Park

As we did last year, Linda and I have signed up to walk the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon; some folks just never learn I guess. Saturday was a nice day for our first "training walk" to prepare so we hit a trail near downtown.

We started at Gray's Lake but we didn't take the usual loop around the lake. Instead, we walked along the trail that follows the south bank of the Raccoon River. An old iron bridge has been converted for pedestrian use so we strolled across there and made our way up by Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs. The statue of woman and child in the right side of the collage is just outside the ballpark.

Our loop took us up and into the Farmer's Market crowd. It wasn't as heavy a crowd as sometimes, it still changed our pace. We got behind a younger man and his bulldog, Tank, for a while. Tank reminded us of an entry in the Drake Relays Most Beautiful Bulldog competition. When we stopped at a corner, people wanted to pet him and asked his name. Seperated by the better part of a block, two passersby commented that Tank reminded them of Meatball, apparently (hopefully!) another bulldog... well known bulldog!

The return route took us back across the iron bridge and back to the lake. It was enough for a starting walk. Not too much but certainly a reminder that there are miles to go to get ready for this gig.

Blisters

Well... those blisters that didn't show up Saturday have shown up. Yesterday I had one; tonight I have the other. My feet and toes were a bit sore today at work but I went for a two mile walk this evening; wanted to be sure I remembered how to walk with blisters. The pace felt brisk but I'm pretty sure it was not up to the fifteen minute goal. Anyway, it was a nice night and the walk went well.

This weekend, the Des Moines Rowing Club will be hosting the Head of the Des Moines Regatta. Events are scheduled every fifteen minutes from 8:30 in the morning to 5:00 in the evening. That's a whole lotta rowing! Weather permitting, I'm thinking I'll swing by for a few races and possibly some photos. When we were training for the marathons, we used to walk that stretch of the river and it was pretty common to see the crews out there practicing. It should be fun to see them doing it for real. I'll keep you posted.

Monday Night Walk

Monday night, Linda and I took a walk along the start and finish segments of the upcoming half marathon. We (I) started out slow but got up to and sustained a nice pace. The weather was great and the walk revealed no new problems to prepare for.

I think I've now walked just about the complete course at one time or another during this training. The only missing area is between Fleur Drive and where I started / finished in Water Works Park over the weekend, certainly less than a mile of normal road surface.

My feet and ankles were still a bit tender from the Saturday walk but didn't present any new problems. They'll be getting a couple days to complete their recovery before the longer walk I'm planning for this weekend.

I'm not sure I could finish the walk today without some pretty serious discomfort but I'm confident that I'd finish. It's now time to work so that I'll feel okay after the walk.

After the walk I watched some of the Monday Night Football game. While the New Orleans Saints are hitting on all cylinders, it's going to be a long time before the city is fully recovered. There was no shortage of pleas to come visit New Orleans, spend dollars here. I'm glad I visited before the devastation.

Sunday...

Today, I watched the Bears win for the third time in a row. I also watched Jeff Burton win for the first time in 175 starts, since his seventeen win, Oct. 28, 2001. Sports fan duties filled, Linda and I previewed the half marathon course and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant on the south side of Des Moines.

Today, the Bears struggled against an excellent Vikings team in Minnesota. In the end, the defenses and kicking games of both teams were featured more than the offenses. From time to time, the running backs broke loose for nice gains or passes were completed but neither team was able to do much on offense ... until the fourth quarter. Rex Grossman finally connected with Rashied Davis for the only points scored by either offense. Bears 19, Vikings 16.


Jeff Burton has been driving a lot of years and has had some very good years but they weren't recent. A year or two ago, he moved to Richard Childress Racing and has been making steady meaningful improvements. Recent races, Jeff would lead, sometimes dominate, only to lose the handle and fall back into the field. Today, that didn't happen. He had to struggle to get past one of his former teammates and still good friend, Matt Kenseth. As the laps wound down, Jeff worked every angle he could think of to get past without resorting to techniques that might risk either or both of their finishes. In the end, Jeff was able to get even with Matt and, ultimately, get by. I'm very pleased to have Jeff on my fantasy team... however, I had him on the bench today. Doh!


This evening, Linda and I drove the course we'll be walking in a few weeks. All in all, a pretty good course. One of the routing decisions that has me scratching my head is the bypassing of one of the recently developed greenspaces, the western gateway area. Instead, we're going to be passing a couple of construction areas on a course parallel to the gateway. That said, we will be passing through, around, and over some of the nice features of downtown Des Moines. This photo is from a late stretch of our walk, midway through mile eleven. With good weather, it should be an excellent day.

Walking Lesson

This morning, I walked a little less than the middle half of the half marathon on the actual course and I learned about walking on a crowned road. Thinking back, the vast majority of my training walks have been on surfaces that were not crowned. Streets and walking / bike paths aren't usually crowned; the middle miles of the Des Moines Half Marathon are on a blacktop road that has a pretty impressive crown. Walking on that surface, I felt added stress on both feet and ankles. I felt the start of blistering on my left toes and moved up to the top of the crown to even things out. Evidently, it worked because, when I got home, there were no blisters.

For me, one of the added benefits of walking has been being able to just be outdoors during some great autumn days. Today, I saw one of only a handful of bluebirds that I've seen in my life. A chickadee was also flitting around among the tall grasses in the back of the park. I was also aware of the sports areas located in the flood plain around Des Moines' Water Works Park. Kids were playing ootball and soccer and there was activity at a softball or little league baseball complex. I was paced for a few miles by a man probably ten years my senior and his dog. Wherever people walk, you'll probably find dogs as well.

Shoes ... and Pizza!

Today I made my first financial commitment to the marathon. I've found that one of the keys to having a successful and enjoyable (yes, enjoyable) experience is good equipment... primarily shoes. In my past distance walks I've worn Brooks Addictions. This evening, I tried on the Brooks Beast and really like the feel. There's a huge difference between my five year old Addictions and these cushy new Beasts. The first pair I tried on were functional but a bit short in the toe; in hindsight, I remember our coach saying that our shoes should be roomy enough in the toebox that we could play the piano with our toes. I never really felt that agile but I did get a sense of what he was saying. Another interesting aspect of these shoes was a sensation of a fulcrum just behind the ball of my foot. As my weight moved forward, it felt like I was rolling over a small mound and propelled forward into the push-off of my stride; a nice sensation. I took the advice of my salesman and went up a half size and am looking forward to my next walk.

With new shoes secured, I proceeded on to enjoy an excellent pizza out with Joel. Off and on over the last twelve years, Joel and I have made it our practice to get together once a week for pizza or Wisconsin burgers often followed by a movie Marlene, his wife, would not likely want to see. This evening, we enjoyed a tasty sausage and pepperoni pizza at our current favorite pizza house and ultimately wound up at his house watching news talk TV with Marlene. All in all, an evening well spent, in my book.

Tuesday Night

This evening, I did get in my four mile walk. It was a beautiful night and everything was working pretty well. I was reminded that my fingers get that full feeling if I walk very long with my hands hanging down. The solution is to raise my hands at least as high as my elbows as I walk. It helps my hands and seems to allow a faster rhythm to my walk. The things we learn...

Had a number of interesting conversations today. I'm trying to figure out which if any to expound on here. On one hand, it would help me sort things out and express them. On the other, am I so articulate and insightful to put it on the web? I guess I am putting my training information here and that's of VERY little interest. We'll see how I feel in the days to come.

Des Moines Marathon

Wednesday evening I decided I'd try to participate in the IMT Des Moines Marathon event this year. I've started actually training... for the half marathon... walking. A man's got to know his limitations. Actually, getting ready for this in a month should be reasonable and suitably challenging.

So far, I've gone for two walks of two miles at Gray's Lake. The first provided several reminders regarding things I need to pay attention to when walking distances. The main pain was in my shins. During the second walk, I was more aware and able to adjust my stride and pace and avoided the discomfort.