Zydeco Marathon

Published March 4, 2018

There is no education like adversity. It makes you strong. Your most challenging times in life.. those moments you overcame the most adversity.. are your greatest opportunities to learn and grow as a person.

Either you’re committed to getting it done.. or you won’t. Either you openly tell yourself, that you’re willing to go through anything “Hell or high water” to get that race finished.. or you won’t. Just as you need to practice the running, and practice the power hiking, to be a real rounded Ultra Runner… you also need to practice the adversity. Face It. Embrace It. Make it your slave… What you learn won’t just benefit you as an ultra runner, it will benefit you as a human being. There are many parallels between the lessons learned in this sport, and life.

#Adversity See you out there, Sherpa John

Let’s just say…there’s no easy way to Lafayette, Louisiana. LOL>

First flight cancelled. Independently managed Plan B details (American refunded the $75 change fee next day, many thanks). Saturday BBQ breakfast in Dallas, 5 hours later…small prop plane to Bajou country. 70’s & sunshine in Acadiana. You’d never know USA’s East Coast was being pounded by another multi-foot snow storm.

Arriving mid-afternoon, not enough time to check out Evangeline’s gravesite in St Martinville LA. After starting the story last summer in Nova Scotia, wanted to see how the saga ended – or at least understand what happened to everyone’s accents during the French migration from Canada. HA! What a crazy dialect, Cajun French!

Bib pickup at Blackham Coliseum (Louisiana-Lafayette U’s Ragin’ Cajuns), then local eats at the Pot & Paddle. Carb-loaded on TWO entrees: jambalaya AND red beans & rice. Who could decide? Marathoning tomorrow, really any excuse will do 🙂 #food addict

Chain hotel, nothing special – 10 minute drive to Sunday’s Start downtown. Running Acadiana’s Zydeco Marathon, named for the region’s unique ‘zydeco’ music. Jazzy flavor, always with an accordion (YouTube sample provided below).

Small field of marathoners, race same weekend as Roll n Roll-New Orleans two hours east. National anthem, self-policed wave start (every 2 minutes). Comfortable, cool, felt good, started strong. Temps wouldn’t heat up ‘til 2^nd Half. Hung with the 4-hour pack for 10 miles. Quiet Sunday morning, start of Spring in French Louisiana.

first Half, just over 2 hours. Training starting to pay off. Not pushing, running easy.

Snap, just like that. It’s how we deal with unexpected events that test character. Half-mile into the 2^nd half: mind wandered, clipped a pothole. Tripped, went down hard. Didn’t even try to catch myself, happened super fast. Ankle, knee, left arm.

Arm bled the worse, hurt the least. Picked myself up, walked to the corner, knee hurt/throbbed. Rocked mentally. Sat down, talked with a police officer manning the intersection. 14 miles in, 12 to go. Not possible. DNF. Asked for the SAG wagon, needed a ride back. Not my day.

20 minutes. Officer radioed again. Van caught in traffic, majority of the Half field now finishing.

Stood. Arm stung, knee throbbed but mentally, event was over/panic passed.

Waved to the officer. I’m going on, radio the van please. Walked. Jogged ‘til knee pain went from throbbing to shooting, then walked again. Still planned on quitting, just hadn’t decided when.

Mile 17. I’ll quit at the next aid station.

Ahead of me recognized Steve Boone [founder, 50 State Marathon Club]. Stroke of luck. Walked & talked thru mile 19. No one flies to rural Louisiana, runs 19 miles & quits. I can do this.

Puking started at 21. It is what it is.

Walked mile 23, much of the next mile too. Teared up at 25, chest-pumped motivation – who quits with one mile to go? Stopped twice. Started twice. FINISHED.