I’ve been here before… on the wings of a demon!
I know I’ve used that misquote before for a runkevinrun post… maybe multiple times. It’s an indictment of my limitations and shortcomings as a writer that I recycle and reuse things.
But that may be befitting for this phrase, a bastardization of a line from Exorcist II: The Heretic. My brother and I often misquote the line to each other when we find ourselves back some place unexpectedly.
And that’s exactly what happened today in Peoria. A few years back I ran a race put on by Startline Racing … and I must have been the one other time they use this location. Because it is as the exact same course I had run. I realized it as I pulled into the Rio Vista Recreation Park’s lot.
Hey! It’s like I’m back at Monument Valley!
And as I ran the race, flashes of memories shot through me like a bad “lost memory” B-movie. I knew for example there’d be this sign as I distinctly recall snapping a photo with it… and honestly I think it’s up on Facebook somewhere.
This was the second annual Hippity Hop Marathon they were putting on… and besides it fitting into a Saturday/Sunday double weekend, I think I was taken by the bunny logo. Look at that guy – he’s charming! (The animated one, not the Wal-Mart purchased blow-up bunny… although he’s ok too. Doesn’t say much):
I’m not going to post a lot of course photos – there’s been enough of the boring “long and winding road” pictures of late. Instead, here’s a select ten shots to give you a flavor:
Around mile 22, I felt light headed and slowed to a walk… and then a walking dead zombie shuffle. I figured I was dehydrated so started grabbing Gatorade at the final few aid stations. I generally shy away from the ‘Ade during runs as it has a tendency to slosh around and turn my stomach. But desperate times… I felt a bit better as I went along but there was A LOT of walking. I kept muttering under my breath, “shoulder to the wheel…” which I think is an Aesop line quoted by…I want to say Ben Affleck or Russell Crowe in some cruddy action movie.
Anyhoo, I staggered into the finish with a 3:38 and change time. I think amidst the smaller field of this race I was sixth overall and first in my age group. I didn’t stick around for the awards; my Motel 6 gave me a late checkout of 11:30 and time was a ticking. A shower trumps results pretty much, um, always.
The irony is “the 6” was so adamant about the time but as I pulled into their parking lot, the animated billboard over their place was rotating past a 24:Live Another Day (summer 2014) advert for Fox Mondays. Yeah – this one:
So “time” there feels like it should be a bit “…more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey… stuff.”
Nonetheless, I’m showered and packed and killing time before my red eye “hop” tonight.
