Williams Route 66 Marathon

52 Replies

 

If you follow my blog regularly, you may already know that James and I ran Route 66 in Oklahoma last Sunday, November 20th (him the full, me the half).  One word comes to mind… hilly.  Okay… another word also comes to mind… fun.  What a fabulous experience! We made a point to qualify for Marathon Maniacs/Half Fanatics earlier in the year specifically for this race and the VIP experience, and it did not disappoint.  When you’ve had the extreme pleasure of standing in the never-ending portaloo lines pre-race, only then can you appreciate the serenity of a private row of blue cabins with zero wait time.

As I tend to suck at writing race recaps, I’m just going to stick to my little weekend summary with pictures, but do keep an eye on 50 in 50 Marathon Quest for the actual mile-by-mile breakdown.

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Soooo… my first impression of Tulsa as we were flying over it on Friday was flat.  Don’t laugh… it’s true, it looks flat. You can see forever, until the earth starts to curve again, kind of like a never-ending horizon.  However, I discovered our first night there that Tulsa is anything BUT flat. And it has gorgeous sunsets.

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On Saturday, we had the race expo and blogger’s forum with which we were invited to participate.  The expo was great… lots of fun stuff to be had.  We came away with a bag full of swag and stuff we probably didn’t really need, but it’s all part of the fun expo experience.  I even found some shoe charms that James was gracious enough to buy for me.

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The blogger’s forum was also a great experience.  Everyone was so nice and so friendly, and the social media director for the race was just amazing… super sweet!  I had a blast getting to know the other bloggers and talking with them, sharing notes and ideas, etc.  If you ever have the chance to participate on a panel, I highly recommend it.

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Okay, on to the race… we met up with the Maniacs and Fanatics beforehand (remember… our very own portaloos with no lines… okay, well, maybe a little line).  This is the official picture of all the maniacs that were there:

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In case you’re having issues picking James and I out in the crowd, here’s a little help:

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It was cold… very cold.  And windy (we later learned that the wind always blows in Tulsa). I tried to get some video at the start line with the music playing in the background, but my phone didn’t do a great job at picking up the music.  However, if you’re interested in checking out the buildings down town and all the people, here ya go:

The course started out relatively flat… yay!  But then we went around a corner, and it was all up and down from there.  Long rolling hills.  You were either going up, or you were going down.  There was 1 mile out on the highway that was also relatively flat, but we ran mostly through neighborhoods, so up and down we went (but oh, the neighborhoods were gorgeous).

The support for this race was amazing.  People were everywhere, having block parties and blasting music.  The chickens even came out to cheer us on.

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At about mile 9, beer shots were handed out at one of the aid stations.  I don’t drink beer, and I certainly don’t drink it at 10 in the morning; however, I will admit I took a shot.  After all those hills, I needed the sugar and carbs to keep me going.  There were also beer shots at miles 10 and 11, and then somewhere in there, they had jello shots made with Fireball.  What can I say?  I had a great time.

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The hill past the above sign really, really hurt… just saying.

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Once we crossed the finish line, we hobbled on over to the Maniacs party tent to partake of the barbecue and pizza.  We also received the medals specific for our club (Fanatic or Maniac).

And, with the Turkey Trot 5K we did 4 days later on Thanksgiving, so endeth the 2016 race year. Route 66 was a fabulous finale race and a fabulous time, with the best bling of the year.  It made qualifying for the Fanatics worth every single painful mile.

After completing 8 races this year, 7 of them being half-marathons in 5 different states (including Washington), and after the heartache I endured this fall, I leave you with this pre-emptive Motivational Music Monday song:

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter
Dancing through the fire
‘Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
‘Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar!

52 thoughts on “Williams Route 66 Marathon”

  2. wanderwolf

    Yes, I heard you roar!
    I love the cheering chickens, the fact that you were VIP, the architectural shots, and the beer shots. 🙂
    I thought of you on Thanksgiving and how it must have been bitter-sweet this season, but you are through the dreary (with some peppy moments) fall and hopefully it’s a clear and sunny winter.
    Looks like a really cool race! It’s actually making me consider it… but maybe Seattle is a better destination race choice 😉
    And wow. You and James have beautiful blue eyes. Just saying. Hope the week is going great!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      Aww, thanks Dorothea! You are such a sweetheart! And yes!! Come to Seattle to race! We’ll race with you! But, you’ll want to opt for RNR in June as opposed to the Seattle Marathon itself, which is the weekend after Thanksgiving and ALWAYS rainy and cold!! Those hills are hard enough without the freaking ice to slow you down, lol!
      Hope you’re having a great week too, and I’m happy that you get to go home for the holidays!! Xoxo

      Liked by 1 person

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  5. Chocolaterunsjudy

    Oh, how I love me some Katy Perry!

    I’m glad you were able to enjoy it with everything that has gone on in your life. How are you feeling, btw? I’m also kind of surprised you were bothered by the hills considering where you live & train! I wish I could have done it, but just no way with hosting Thanksgiving and of course a half this coming weekend — I am not a half fanatic!

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      1. Chocolaterunsjudy

        Oh, I hear you, I often head to a flat path for tempos. But my runs in my neighborhood are a little hilly. My runs when I visit my MIL tho — OMG!

        Route 66 has been on my radar, but unfortunately with my life right now, the timing of it is atrocious. 😦

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Darlene

    Congrats on another half. It sounds like a fun race. Fireball shots?? How awesome!

    I ran 8 so I am upping my Half Fanatic status after this weekend’s race.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      That’s right! You’re about to be Uranus, aren’t you! You’re going to have such a great time! Good luck this weekend!
      And yeah! Fireball shots! I think I had about 2 miles or so to go, so I didn’t mind numbing the pain a bit, lol! Mind you, the only thing I suffered from is muscle fatigue, normal stuff… no knee issues and no feet issues, so yay! (Either that or the shots were way better than I realized, ;D)

      Like

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      We really did! And the chickens, OMG… it just doesn’t get any better!! :D. Can you give me your etsy address? I’d like to see what you have, critters and all. Christmas is coming, you know, 😀

      Like

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      I ran all over that town of yours and not once did I couldn’t find that JCPenney OR Casa Bonita, can you believe it, ;D
      It’s a great little city, Brian! I loved all the space… and lack of traffic!! And it was so clean downtown!! Super impressed!!

      Liked by 1 person

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  12. mawil1

    I’m so impressed with your half marathon progress! I’m sure that a year ago you were so full of doubt, but look what you’ve done! Fantastic! I love that Katy perry song too😊😊

    Liked by 1 person

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  14. Susan Leighton

    So happy for you and James, Paula! Tulsa is a nice town. I went through it briefly on my way to AZ. I have to say I admire the both of you. Hills really suck. Just the word makes me cringe. LOL. I really liked the crown bling. You should be very proud of yourself because you roared, girl! You’re going to be fine……..hope to cheer you on next year. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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  16. SlowRunnerGirl

    What a great year in racing! Congratulations on what yiu both achieved. As always you both are the most adorable runcouple! Now off to James site to check for posts! It’s Thursday I must have missed Music Monday yesterday.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      It really was great, and if she doesn’t live close to downtown, no, she probably didn’t know about it. I loved how everything was so spread out there… reminded me a bit of Tucson. And yes, the cheering chickens, lol! My favorite part other than the jello shots, haha!! 🙂

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