Anne Noble – (MM15938) – Medal Monday, but medal order delayed!
39th full marathon done! 18th state! Stephen Noble dropped me off at top of some mountains so I could run down it, while he went to golf, again. 😂
That course is a tad harder than than I think they market it to be, at least in my opinion. The tunnel was challenging for me. Fortunately shortly after I started into the tunnel, and immediately became quite disoriented, regardless of the headlamp, I have bilaterally severed vestibular nerves, I nearly stopped in my tracks and let out this quiet frightened voice like “help? somebody?” And someone, a man, grasped my hand, then moved to holding my forearm, as I asked if the person could stay with me to the end of the tunnel. It turns out this was his first marathon, I couldn’t see him til we left the tunnel, I thanked him several times. I did end up beating him, by I’m not sure how much. I couldn’t find him afterwards.
It was beautiful views, and fun, and I didn’t fall down, okay finish time but not super in comparison to others, but I’ve never run in a pitch dark 2 miles long tunnel with sloped ground and water dripping from the ceiling. It was really a great experience but definitely not easy. (I finished in 5:33, although I was hoping to finish in closer to 5:00 or even a sub-5, but honestly I’ve only run a sub-5 twice in the past 12 years, both were last year.)
I set some difficult goals for myself, but every marathon is difficult so my first goal is always “Finish, have fun, don’t get hurt, don’t be last” I CRUSHED IT!!! 🏃🏻♀️😀
A couple guys on the shuttle bus from finish to parking were telling us it was their first marathon and these 2 guys who seemed athletic and in 20s, were pretty much chasing me (pacing off of) for the last couple miles, and they saw I had picked up my pace at the end and they were like thinking “when your body doesn’t want to do this but ya gotta do it…” (I think I inspired them, when they learned it was my 39th marathon.) 😀
The race company”s order for medals was delayed so they are going to mail the finisher medals to all the runners who finished. (No medals for people like the guy who took a side trail and broke his leg, and they think he was trying to cheat, and it took the medics 45 minutes to find him!) 😮
Steve even made a video of me finishing but I don’t plan to post it in here because you’d find out how unique my gait is! Lol 🏃🏻♀️
Oh and the back of my shirt says “Running for Gabby” she is a young girl who lives near us, and like myself, she has Neurofibromatosis Type 2. Please consider making a donation to Children’s Tumor Foundation in honor of Gabby, or me running for her.
Here’s her family’s fundraiser link:https://join.ctf.org/team/507029
Photo and Post Credit Anne Noble