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Long Fast Walk

One last post not about art or Mineral King. We’ll resume our normal broadcasting schedule topics tomorrow.

There are many ways to participate in the multiple events of the Lake Tahoe Marathon weekend; walking partner T and I chose to walk the 1/2 marathon on Sunday, October 9.

We’ve been planning and training for awhile.

team-shoelace

The bus took us from Stateline to Emerald Bay.
The bus took us from Stateline to Emerald Bay.
We walked 1/2 mile down the road to the starting point, following a bagpiper.
We walked 1/2 mile down the road to the starting point, following a bagpiper.
Our view as we waited for the start time was quite beautiful.
Our view as we waited for the start time was quite beautiful.
Marathon runners passed us as we waited for our start time.
Marathon runners passed us as we waited for our start time.
T and I were cold, excited and ready!
T and I were cold, excited and ready!
We were immediately passed by all the runners.
We were immediately passed by all the runners.
It didn't take long for the crowd of 536 to spread out on the road.
It didn’t take long for the crowd of 536 to spread out on the road.
It might have been 3 miles of downhill, following the lake from the road above. We were walking very very fast.
It might have been 3 miles of downhill, following the lake from the road above. We were walking very very fast.
This was the only time I spotted good fall color along the route.
This was the best fall color along the route; not all the aspens had turned yet.
We left the road and moved onto a bike trail.
We left the road and moved onto a bike trail.
After meandering through some neighborhoods, the route took us along a busy boulevard, first on this trail, and then just along the road on a cracked narrow sidewalk. It wasn't pleasant for the last 5 or 6 miles.
After meandering through some neighborhoods, the route took us along a busy boulevard, first on this trail, and then just along the road on a cracked narrow sidewalk. It wasn’t pleasant for the last 5 or 6 miles, our feet hurt and there wasn’t anything to photograph.
We were along the lakeshore for a brief span near the end.
We were along the lakeshore for a brief span near the end. Fast walking makes for crooked photos!

T and I finished the 1/2 marathon with an average pace of 4.1 mph. This placed us at numbers 513 and 514 out of 536 participants. It was 3 hours and 15 minutes of very fast walking. My Garmin showed the distance to be 13.39 miles instead of 13.1.

Worth it? Yes, for the friendship factor. No, for the way I felt afterward and the amount of hassles to go there and back. Shoot, our motel was so cheap there wasn’t even a coffee maker in the room! But oh my, T is so much fun, and we laughed and laughed and talked and laughed for 2 days straight.

 

6 Comments

  1. … love, love, love your road trip –

    • Aw shucks, thank you Diane! You are the best blog reader ever!

  2. Wow, Jana, I think it’s great you did 13 miles in 3 hours and 15 minutes! I could not even conceive of doing that. Good, good job! Marjie

    • Thank you, Marjie! It was by turns hard, easy, fun, not fun. . . still questioning why we felt the need, but I think it was for the physical challenge and definitely for the friendship.

  3. Just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed your side trip away from Tulare County to points north. You are brave to try a marathon–congratulations on finishing! At least you did see some beautiful scenery and, as you mentioned, laughed a lot!

    • 1/2, Sharon, just a 1/2 marathon. And thank you for enjoying my diversionary posts. . . I often wonder why I blather on and on, so I truly appreciate your feedback.

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