I’ve kept pretty quiet about my leg injury updates because, frankly, it’s depressing. I apparently had a setback and there’s nothing I can do but wait, since stress fractures must heal completely. Despite a previous experience and the vast majority of runners’ tibial stress fracture stories online, mine is taking longer than expected/most to heal. And that leads me to this:
If you’d like to run the sold-out Texas Marathon (finishers get the biggest medal in the country, and a rubber duck) on Jan. 1, let me know. It’s completely legitimate because the race, unlike most, allows transfers and refunds. It costs $60 and I need to know before Nov. 30, because that’s the cut-off date for me to just get a refund. Either comment here or e-mail me at layla @ thesmudge.com and we’ll work out the details.
I’ve wrestled with this decision, but there’s no way I will be in marathon shape in 54 days. There’s a waiting list for this marathon, so I shouldn’t put it off any longer — if someone else can run it, they deserve to do so.
If you want more information, here’s what I wrote about the marathon in a blog post on June 2:
Is it wrong for me to be very amused by the website of Kingwood, Texas? It doesn’t hurt that their town motto is apparently “the surfable forest,” and one of their featured businesses is Heather the Pet Nanny (whose website features a rather fascinating bouncing yellow tennis ball). And, when asked their favorite meat to eat, visitors to the website overwhelmingly selected beef.
As if that’s not enough to make Kingwood interesting, it’s just two miles away from the town of Humble (the H is silent, according to that link). Humble became a happening town after a 1904 “oil gusher” brought people in droves for work.
Why am I jabbering about Kingwood, which is 1,926 miles from Lodi? Because it’s home to the Texas Marathon, that’s why. Oh come on, you knew there had to be running involved if Layla was posting.
They always say things are bigger in Texas, so of course the marathon’s medal is the biggest in the U.S. At 2.2 pounds, that’s definitely one to wear through the airport or else it might push luggage over the weight limit. Finishers also get shirts, rubber ducks, and pizza. That is a nice bonus, because pizza usually sounds like the best thing on earth to me when I finish a long run. And, hey, a rubber duck has to be cute, right?
The race is on Jan. 1, which means it’s 1/1/11. I’m a bit of a numbers nerd, which is one of the big reasons I’m running the Portland Marathon on 10/10/10. I surprisingly got into the lottery for the New York Marathon, which will be held Nov. 7, a mere four weeks after Portland. So, I’m thinking of just going completely nuts and running a third marathon within 90 days of Portland, so I can qualify for Marathon Maniacs membership. It’s either that or the much closer California International Marathon in Sacramento.
So. Who wants to go to Kingwood with me for New Year’s?
Eric and I ran the Texas in 2009. It’s fun. The bling is huge, and we were there on an anniversary year, so it was literally six inches in diameter. Huge Longhorn head. They make signs for all the runners and hang them up along the trail. I love the idea of starting a new year this way. Unfortunately, I will not be able to do a marathon for a year. But, we’ll catch you in 2012.