No Fussin’ or Feudin’ - #44

Last year I had attempted to do this marathon two weeks after the doctors put me on the insulin pump. Unfortunately the nurse told me that I could just reduce my insulin and I would be fine. I had always eliminated all insulin before the race to avoid dropping too low at the end. Yep, you guessed it! So last year I only made it halfway (13.1 miles) before my blood sugar I got so low that I had to stop. I was probably somewhere in the 40s and had already eaten all of my gummy bears and every other snack possible. So, this year I came back to try and conquer all of it.

My wife and I had a great time talking and driving all the way from Virginia Beach to the border of West Virginia and Kentucky. Certainly a long drive but it was nice to get away. My wife was going to do the river run section of the marathon which is the last half. This is a much flatter route as it twisted in winds next to the water. It’d also give her the great finish at the traditional finish line. I always enjoy getting photographs before and after a race and this was no different. I was actually able to get a selfie with two of the Hatfield's and McCoy's themselves.

Get ready for a shotgun start! All in fun. No Fussin’ Just Runnin’! So I ran into a lady once again that I had recently seen in Vermont and initially met her last year at the Hatfield and McCoy. This was her 468th marathon! She had done this 15 times before. So she knew the course well. What an amazing lady. She had a stroke three years ago but didn't let that stop her in pursuing her passion for running marathons. Last year alone she did 55 marathons! And those were all over the country. I was gonna really slow my intended pace down and had decided to run with her. (Sorry I didn’t catch her name….my brain doesn’t work well with running.) She was a pacer at 5:40 minute mile. Really slower than what I wanted to go but I figured that might be a better solution since I kept on having problems towards the end of the race. So myself and these two ladies (another pacer) took off running and shortly afterwards before mile 2 a complete downpour happened.

We Were Soaking Wet. It was a nice little run. With the easy pace it was fun to chat with people and laugh. It was great fun. At one point I met a guy who said that he was the Great-Grandson of Ansul Hatfield. I wonder If that was true? If It was, that's pretty neat. No Fussin’ Just Runnin’! We all knew what was coming up at Mile Six, Blackberry Mountain! And that was a steep hill... CORRECTION, steep Mountain! I chugged and slugged up the hill the best I could but once I got to the top of it I Shot down like a Speeding Bullet. At times I was running an 8:10 minute mile. The downhill lasted for well over a mile. I was screaming and yelling, “No Breaks!” Passing everybody I came up on.

Unfortunately, later in the race, I once again hit the spot where I just couldn't breathe anymore. Once again so I had to slow my pace down to a Run-Walk as much as I possibly could. During the middle of the race I had an idea that maybe it was respiratory and that I’d check it out with the doctor when I got back. Anyway, it was a very fun run. The people are so cheerful and so many water stops with many treats like Ice Cold Watermelon and Oranges. Mile 25 offered ice cold wash clothes to put on your neck and head. Those Were Excellent.

I was happy to be finished with my 44th marathon and the 20th state. Since the course is on the border I could count it as West Virginia or Kentucky.

Kentucky Wins! This was my eighth marathon in 14 Weeks and now I just need to step back and begin training. Training for What You Might Ask? 777 Challenge. Check it out and support our mission to bring about more diabetes awareness.

https://www.runeugenerun.com/events Be watching for more information on how I get to torture myself even More.

Thanks for all your support and prayers.