I suck, though less than three weeks ago.

No easy way to say it: I DNF’ed the Quad Cities Marathon at mile 23. I was at 5:01 and had 1 hour to finish, but instead I sat down and threw up three times.

What happened: I didn’t have the “fitness reservoir” to overcome the day getting dramatically hotter when I got to mile 21.

I started off ok; I was slower than in years past but was ok with my mile spilts right up to mile 21.

12:19
11:49
12:47
12:35
12:29 (1:02)
12:43
12:52
12:49
13:57 (pit stop)
12:39 (2:07)
12:49
12:04 (short)
13:48 (long)
2:47:08 half way
13:04
12:50 (3:11:42)
12:44
12:53
12:47
12:56
13:08 (4:16:12)
12:50
15:11 (lube)
18:55 (5:03:09 at mile 23)

As you can see, even though mile 22 was a bit slow due to my fumbling around to lube some upper body “hot spots” (ok, my nipples and underarms) I had no inclination that I would bomb so badly at mile 22; in fact I still had thoughts of picking up the pace and improving my race position; “just finishing” wasn’t a concern for me.

I suppose that it should have been.

What happens is that when I get overexerted in the heat, my stomach shuts down and any water I drink just sits there. I tried to drink during that 15:11 mile and finished the bottle and I took in a Succeed cap. But the water just sat in my stomach, doing me no good whatsoever.

Hence, and ambulance picked me up and I got two IV bags worth of fluid.

A huge thanks to the medical staff; both the Medics on the bicycles, Dr. Bradley, and the EMT’s who took such good care of me.

I’ve DNF’ed a marathon before (Arkansas, 2004) but at that race, I knew that I was in trouble at mile 18-19 and tried to work through it. I couldn’t, and took a DNF at mile 23.

This time: had the Quad Cities had the “walker friendly” time limit (say, 7 hours), I would have sat for a while and attempted to finish the race (which would have been stupid)

Other notes: I can recommend the Quad Cities Marathon to runners in the 3-4 hour range with the caveat that the streets are “hard” streets. There are some bikepath miles.

For the slower runners and for walkers: Keep in mind that it tends to get HOT 4 hours into the race, even if it is ok at 7:35 in the morning (the start time) You need to save something to deal with that last 10K, which is on a very hot asphalt road, with zero shade. You’ll be treated nicely by the staff, but that last 10K is brutal if it is a hot day.

The organization is outstanding; Race Director Joe Moreno (an accomplished runner himself and a former Mayor) puts his heart and soul into making this race good. The scenery is breath taking at times (over the bridges, and on Rock Island Arsenal) and you pass through some cool downtown areas in Rock Island.

Photos from when I had more successful outcomes:

Running a 3:55 in 1998. I finished about 210 out of over 1000; yes it was brutally hot. I was at about mile 20 when this photo was taken; note the detergent from my shorts running onto my leg. I took over 1 hour to do that last 10K.

Walking a 5:11 in 2004. Note the hip drop.

After the 2004 race; that is Deborah Kallman (then Feinberg) whose back is to the camera. She won money at that marathon. Bob Corbett is the guy without the shirt.

Sloppy walking a 4:44 (I was listed as Manyes during that race). My knees look fine here though.

Two different kinds of warriors

Shalini takes on the fundie morons! Here is her latest salvo (no, she didn’t make the video but she posted it…long with lots of other stuff)

I challenge anyone who agrees with this idiot minister to give up every modern invention and to give up modern medicine.

Ok, before you get onto me: if you are someone who uses YOUR religion to make YOUR life better (more peaceful, serene, to be of more service to others, to help overcome addictions, etc.) then GREAT. I wish you nothing but success.

But if you think that your religion’s creation myths somehow trump science when it comes to figuring out how the world works or that your religious beliefs ought to be everyone else’s, well, just say that I have a great deal of contempt for such attitudes; that is as polite as I can be.

Another kind of idiot: more dangerous. One People’s Project takes on this kind of idiot. Yes, the Nazi slumlord who targeted me in the past (and is more famous for having gone after Leonard Pitts) has now attempted to intimidate the Jena 6.

Unfortunately, he has gotten some unwarranted publicity out of it.

If you have a strong stomach, you can see this waste of DNA here. He is the clown in the foreground with his belly button pointing toward the ground. Oh yeah, that other mentally ill person with him was the sum total of all his group’s members that showed up at a recent racist rally.

Wild and not so Wild Football

Nothing like college football to pass the time away…
Lows tonight are close to 50 Highs: close to 90 I should be done at close to 1 pm (7:30 + 5:30) and it will have started to warm up by then. I had better enjoy the frosty initial conditions! (At the Quad Cities Marathon)

Football

Navy wins a wild one over Duke, kicking a long field goal at the end of the game.

Backup kicker Joey Bullen made a 44-yard field goal on the last play of the game to lift Navy past Duke 46-43 on Saturday.

Bullen’s kick finished off a fourth-quarter comeback by the Midshipmen (2-2), who trailed 43-32.

With Jarod Bryant entering the game at quarterback in place of winded starter Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, Navy rode Bryant’s fresh legs to 14 consecutive fourth-quarter points.

The Mids closed to 43-35 on a 35-yard field goal by Bullen with 8:07 left. Bullen had taken over the kicking duties from Matt Harmon, who kicked a field goal and three extra points for the Mids before being sidelined by a groin injury. [...]

(This image hotlinked from the Yahoo Football Gallery)

Navy’s last opponent, Ball State, lost a 41-40 heartbreaker to Nebraska.

Michigan State overpowered Notre Dame 31-14, but the Irish actually had someone run for over 100 yards! It was 17-14 at the half, with Notre Dame scoring on one long drive, and scoring when Michigan State fumbled the ball on their own 9 yard line. Otherwise, it was all Spartans.

I also caught the end of the Oklahoma State, Texas Tech shootout. The Cowboys had just tied it at 42-24, Tech went up 45-42 when the Cowboys scored on a long pass with 1:17 to go. Tech responded and drove inside the 15 yard line, but on 4′th down, a Tech receiver couldn’t hang on to the ball in the end zone (the pass hit his shoulder pads). That was with 17 seconds left! Final: 49-45, Oklahoma State.

In local action, Illinois State (a I-AA team 45 miles down the road) put up a fight but fell to the Missouri Tigers 38-17.

Illinois is, gasp, actually thinking “Bowl Game” after winning their Big Ten opener against Indiana 27-14. The Illini defense forced 4 turnovers and their offense ran the ball well. They are actually 3-1 (2-1 against BCS teams).

Currently, I am watching the Texas-Rice game; the Longhorns currently lead the Owls 10-0.

Update: 41-7 at the half, with the Owls scoring on a nice drive with seconds left in the half. Ok, the drive was set up by a good kickoff return and aided by a roughing the passer penalty.

Update: 58-7 now…perhaps Notre Dame vs. Rice would be competitive?