State Number 12 – HFM Maritime
Marathon, Manitowoc, WI
22 June 2014
Our week-long road trip
was finally coming to an end. We left
Charlevoix not long after finishing the marathon and the 350-mile 6.5 hour
drive to Manitowoc across the Upper Peninsula was the only remaining hurdle
sitting in our way.
Getting to Manitowoc in time for the expo and packet pick
up was pretty much impossible. Given that
the Maritime Marathon is a small, low key event, we were able pick up our tech
shirts and bibs at the starting line area on race day morning. Yay, no pressure.
I took the reins of the car in Charlevoix and directed
us northbound on U.S. 31 until it merged onto I-75 about four miles south of
Mackinaw City. We made a pit stop in
Mackinaw City to view the Mackinac Bridge from the shore line and to view the Old
Mackinac Point Light where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron at Colonial
Michilimackinac Park.
I wanted to schedule a tour of the light, but the
relentless mosquitos outnumbered us by the tens of thousands. As soon as I stepped out of the car, in a
matter of seconds, a swarm of those nagging insects were there to greet
us. Almost immediately, mosquitos
covered the car’s windshield analogous to scenes from Alfred Hitchcock’s classic
thriller, The Birds. Needless to say, waiting in line for a
lighthouse tour was simply out of the question and was immediately put on the
back burner until a date yet to be determined.
Shortly after crossing the magnificent suspension
bridge spanning the strait, we merged off I-75 onto U.S. 2 leading us down the
UP’s lakeshore into Wisconsin.
The drive was rather unexciting to say the least. Views of the lake were limited at best, and
sights generally included forest lands and some small towns scattered along the
way.
Ever since my early teen-age years, I’ve had the
desire to visit Dollar Bay and Escanaba, MI.
Why, I don’t really know, but I believe it was from my days as a member
of an international Scandinavian organization.
From what I know, Scandinavian emigrants left Sweden and Finland to the United
States and a number of them settled in these cities. While Dollar Bay was considerably out of the
way, Escanaba happened to lie en route to Wisconsin. After all these years, I can now say that
I’ve been to Escanaba. I know that
doesn’t mean much to anyone, but I was pleased to check-off a long-standing bucket
list item.
Soon we crossed the state line at Menominee while
gaining back an hour as we once again were in the Central time zone.
I was getting weary of driving and was more than ready
to arrive in Manitowoc. But first things
first, I planned to stop at Lambeau Field to see the legendary stadium and home
to the Green Bay Packers.
Being unfamiliar to the area and not having my GPS
tuned in thinking I knew where I was, I unfortunately ignored the I-41 exit and
continued on I-43 instead not realizing my mistake until leaving Green Bay.
I wasn’t very happy, but getting to Manitowoc outweighed
the desire to turn around. Besides, it
was getting late and everything was probably closing up shop for the day anyway.
After six and a half hours, we finally arrived at our
hotel, the Baymont Inn Manitowoc Lakefront overlooking the harbor and the mouth
of the Manitowoc River near the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
The first order of business after check-in was to
satiate our appetites with some pizza at the Fork & Knife. I don’t believe it was the best I’ve had, but
it was good enough.
After a relaxing time in the indoor pool and spa, we
hit the sack for some much needed rest for Marathon Sunday.
The marathon start was about two miles south of our
hotel off Viebahn Street on the University of Wisconsin - Manitowoc campus with
the finish line being in a grassy common area located on the east side of UWM.
The university is a small two-year college overlooking
the western shore of Lake Michigan and was a lot smaller than what I had
envisioned. About an hour before the
0700 race start, we picked up our bibs and shirts at a portable table under an
EZ-up set up in the school’s parking lot.
During this time, technicians were busy configuring the electronics, wiring
and programming for the all-important timing system.
It was a cool, hazy and overcast summer morning and
was as good as it could have been, especially for a race reputed to having
little shade along the course. Two
communities come together each year to host this out-and-back marathon
event. The cities of Two Rivers (aptly
named for the two rivers, the East and West Twin Rivers, which flow through the
city) and Manitowoc join forces to make this annual marathon along the Lake
Michigan shore a success utilizing residential streets and the lakeshore’s
Mariner’s Trail.
This double marathon weekend was my second go-round. The thought of food poisoning ruining a
marathon definitely came to mind as what happened in Alabama, but since I
wasn’t sick during the night, I was in the clear.
It was the first day of the summer solstice. Approximately 250 to 300 runners assembled at
the start area ready to take on the day’s challenge. Some runners were jogging around as a way to
loosen up and warm up their muscles while others just hung around conversing
with people and just enjoying the moment.
I was still sore from Charlevoix and from the horseback riding days
earlier, so how I would perform was still a large question mark. I just wanted to finish in under five hours.
After the National Anthem, a local pastor led a short
but inspiring invocation asking that the Lord watch over all the runners, to
have a great and safe race, and afford everyone the will to win¼not
by coming in ahead of everyone else, but by beating yourself. Promptly at 0700, the horn blew and we were
off and running.
The course exited the UWM campus into an upscale
residential area. After a few turns and
some rolling hills, runners passed by the SS
Badger car ferry dock, which happened to be steaming on the lake at the
time, and the harbor area.
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| USS Cobia |
Once in the harbor area, we crossed over a draw bridge
spanning the Manitowoc River and by the USS
Cobia submarine adjacent to the Maritime Museum, and I can’t forget, by our
hotel. It would have been easy for me to
slip inside the hotel, rest and relax a bit only to join forces with the
runners as they came back around. I do
admit that thought crossed my mind; however, we only regret the chances we
didn’t take and the miles we didn’t run.
I’ll never know how strong I am until being strong is my only
choice. Even though the soreness was a
constant reminder of the discomfort marathons have on the human body, I was in
it for the long run, literally.
After passing by the hotel complex, it was on to the
Mariner’s Trail skirting the Manitowoc Yacht Club and Marina into the City of
Two Rivers.
Even though the course profile shows this as a flat
section of the course, I swear there was a slight incline, and it felt as if I
was running uphill the whole time. Maybe
it was from being tired and sore, I don’t know.
The nearly five-mile long curvilinear pedestrian/bike trail
from Manitowoc to Two Rivers wrapped around eye-catching landscaping with striking
views of the lake on a normal day; however, the hazy/foggy air of this particular
morning made for limited visibility across the tranquil lake water.
The Mariner’s Trail ended and metamorphosed into a
sidewalk at Memorial Drive in Two Rivers. A slight detour was in effect for this year’s
marathon due to the construction on the 17th Street drawbridge
forcing runners to utilize the 22nd Street Bridge to cross the East
Twin River.
As I entered Two Rivers, a city of around 11,000
residents, I noticed a sign displaying the proverb that the city is the
“birthplace of the ice cream sundae.”
Wow, who would have thought?
Probably don’t sell many sundaes during the winter though.
On the other side of the river, runners entered the
Neshotah Beach area where many spectators assembled alongside the sand-covered concrete
pedestrian trail to cheer on and encourage runners. The beach and park area looked like a nice
place to cool off near the lakeshore, play a game of pick-up basketball, beach
volleyball, softball or play on the playground equipment during the hot summer
months.
The concrete beach trail lasted for only a half-mile
or so before joining up with Neshotah Road through a wooded area leading up to
a pedestrian trail consisting of a decomposed granite/clayey surface for a
mile, more or less, before connecting to Sandy Bay Road.
A portable water mister set up along the trail invited
runners to cool-off before continuing to the turn-around. I didn’t believe the mister was really
necessary, let alone set up in the right place.
It only created a muddy mess on the trail forcing runners into some
brushy areas alongside the trail in an effort to avoid tracking the heavy mud
on the soles of their shoes making for some uncomfortable running.
The half-way turnaround point was located in farm
country along a path carved out in a stand of pine trees near the Port Sandy
Bay parking lot. I crossed the timing
mat in a time of 2:17:01.
The return trip traced out the exact same course so I
knew what to expect as I made my way back to Manitowoc.
My fatigue level and any kind of manageable pain and
stiffness held steady for the first half, and some, and really didn’t affect my
running too much until things began to fall apart upon leaving Two Rivers while
merging back on to the Mariner’s Trail around Marathon Mile 17.5. My left hamstring and left adductor muscles
began to hurt triggering a substantial decline in my pace.
Oddly enough, my journey back on the Mariner’s Trail
still gave me the impression I was running uphill. That was impossible, but it was likely the
fatigue I was fighting and just seemed like running uphill.
Over the next four to five miles, I resorted to more
walking than running and taking in nutrition and fluids at each aid station
wasn’t helping much. The realization of
breaking five hours was quickly fading and I had to accept my fate no matter
what. As long as I finished, I was going
to go home with a happy smile and would consider this double marathon a
success. Hey, it was much better than
First Light in Alabama.
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| SS Badger loaded with vehicles |
Once again, I passed the Yacht Club, our hotel and the
museum and I knew I had a tad over two miles to go. But in those two miles, the short substantial
hills in the residential area of the city were deadly and were almost too much
for my legs to handle without resorting to a slow walk.
As I looped around the harbor, the SS Badger, loaded with passengers and
their vehicles, approached the harbor’s dock on its return trip from Ludington,
MI. The ship’s blaring horn reverberated
throughout the harbor as it was mooring.
It was quite an impressive show.
I guess being a slow runner on that day had its advantages.
Actually, I think the ship bears an uncanny
resemblance of the RMS Titanic, minus
the smokestacks. On an interesting note, the ferry route
across Lake Michigan to and from Ludington has an official highway designation
of U.S. Highway 10. One doesn’t have to contend
with traffic jams on that section of highway.
The rolling hills began as soon as I left the ferry
dock area on S. Lakeview Drive in to the residential section on Madison Street. With my injured muscles coupled with extreme
fatigue, walking the hills was my only option.
Approaching the finish line, the course did a hair-pin
turn off Lakeside Boulevard on to a gravel trail with a short but steep
gradient just before a sharp right into the finish line on the field of a grassy
common area of UWM. For anyone with weak
and wobbly legs, I was concerned that the sudden steep gradient could pose a fall
hazard.
I finished with a time of 5:10:47, a pace of 11:49 per
mile.
Age
graded score: 44.7%
Age
graded time: 4:43:45
For everyone crossing the finish line, the race
director was there to personally shake your hand and congratulate you on your
big accomplishment. I thought that added
a special touch to the event. Of the
roughly 250 marathon runners, the average finish time was 4:14:54 with a
standard deviation of 0:44:12.
After receiving my finisher’s medal, to say I wasn’t
stiff and sore was an understatement. Just
beyond the finish chute, a steep grassy slope stared into the eyes of
runners. In order to get to the food
area, everyone had to navigate themselves up that hill, and it was a real
challenge, at least for me. The hunger
and thirst couldn’t hold me back from a long anticipated meal, nevertheless.
Both hot and cold post-race food was offered, such as
burgers, brats, ice cream, Gatorade, water and, of course, beer. Sitting down on the lawn to take a load off
was a task in itself. My stiff back and
legs ached. I was fearful. Once seated, it seemed I would not be able to rise
back up again without any kind of external assistance. My wife, who finished ahead of me, walked
over to retrieve a brat and an ice cold beer while I rested my decrepit,
dilapidated and broken-down body. Why do
I do this to myself? Oh, it’s fun. I know, all the soreness will eventually disappear
and the marathon will only be a memory as I look forward to the next double
marathon weekend.
The finish line wasn’t just an ordinary finish
line. It was a symbol to me that I can
achieve much more than I thought possible.
I ignored those inner demons that told me a double was too much. I had the strength and stamina to finish
strong down that steep little uneven gravel-surfaced hill to the finish line
and that the world is a much bigger and open place than I thought possible.
I know this may sound like a cliché, but I think
trying to explaining what it feels like to finish a double marathon is
difficult to define because it can be a very solitary, personal and unique experience. Fighting through a marathon is all mind over
matter and once you have decided to do it, the challenge is all yours to face;
but the feeling is all yours, too.
This marathon is not a big race by any means, but the
enthusiastic and cheerful volunteers and spectators along the entire course
made it seem big and more enjoyable. Also,
let us not forget the support staff for making this a memorable event.
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| Somewhere around here is a marker, but DO NOT DISTURB |
I found the strength to position myself to an upright posture
after sitting for a half-hour or so. I
guess it was the added nutrition and fluids that gave me the vitality to move
around. At first, walking over to the
car felt like I was running another marathon, but once I loosened up, I was more
pliable and elastic.
After I cleaned up and put on some fresh dry clothes,
I felt as if I could tackle another marathon¼well, maybe a
10K. We got back into the car and drove
some of the course for some pictures and to reminisce about the trials and
tribulations I experienced towards the end of the race.
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| Ayyyy |
Upon our return to the hotel, we spent a considerable
amount of time in the hot tub to soothe our aching muscles and to reflect upon
our run and that we can, yet again, check off another state on our list.
Our flight from Milwaukee was scheduled for the early
afternoon hours so we had a few hours to see some sights in Milwaukee.
As a kid, I enjoyed watching television sitcom shows,
such as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and All in the Family, to name a few, considered
TV classics today. Happy Days portrayed the fictitious characters of Fonzi, Ralph,
Potsie and Ritchie and his family growing up in 1950s Milwaukee. Gee, if only we could find Arnold’s Drive-in.
While I was looking for some things to do in
Milwaukee, I happened upon a web site showcasing the “Bronze Fonz” as a popular
photo spot for visitors. Located in the
downtown section of Milwaukee, the statue is very similar to the bronze effigy
of Mary Tyler Moore tossing her iconic hat into the air on downtown Minneapolis’
Nicolette Mall. Yes, of course, I also
watched the 1970s hit sitcom The Mary
Tyler Moore Show.
The “Bronze Fonz” is located on the Milwaukee
Riverwalk on Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee. The bronze figure depicts Henry Winkler as Happy Days’ character Arthur Fonzarelli,
or simply, the Fonz. He stands in his
typical attire consisting of his trademark black leather jacket, white tee
shirt and blue jeans while giving his distinguishing two-handed thumbs up, ayyyy. Way too cool!
Besides the typical museums, concerts, art galleries
or participating in the hip scene, what was there to do in Milwaukee on a
Monday morning? Downtown was nothing
more than the hustle and bustle of worker bees buzzing around trying to make a
living and time didn’t allow us to take in a Brewers game.
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| Hey, I'm a Cheesehead |
Whether it’s on tap, in bottles, cans or kegs, beer is
what made Milwaukee famous. Since time
was of the essence, a brewery tour of Blatz, Pabst, Schlitz or Miller was
obviously out of the question. Gee, I
didn’t know Pabst Blue Ribbon was still around.
Anyway, Milwaukee’s beer heritage will continue to thrive without us.
Maybe we could drive by the Shotz Brewery Laverne and
Shirley worked at for some adult libations¼right. We could have hopscotched arm-in-arm down
Wells Street chanting “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Schlemiel! Schlimazel!
Hasenpfeffer Incorporated”¼not a chance. So, it was back to the airport to return the
car and prepare for our flight back to LAX.
During our rental car return, the attendant who checked
us in expressed some bewilderment as he calculated how many miles we drove during
our week long rental – just over 2600, equivalent to driving from New York to
Los Angeles. It didn’t matter, we had unlimited
miles.
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| Milwaukee Airport entrance |
There is so much to see and do in the United States,
and it was fun to integrate three marathons in one week while seeing many
wonderful things along the way. Would I
do something like this again, maybe?
Just depends where in the country such a road trip would take place.
Wisconsin and Michigan are affectionately known as the
“Mitten States” due to their peculiar likenesses to a pair of mittens, although
I think Michigan bears more of a resemblance than Wisconsin does. What a way to earn a pair of mittens, eh?
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