Unfinished Business - 2024 Monumental Marathon

 

I had no plans on registering for a marathon when I woke up this morning.

Sure, I had plans on getting back into shape and running some more some day... 

Then one of my Sole Sisters texted me. Are you racing this year?

Um, no. Not exactly racing... but I've thought about running...

Long story short, we decided to run the Monumental Marathon together this year.

The first time I ran Monumental was in 2013. 

It was the third marathon I ever ran and my first attempt at a Boston Qualifying time. It was a newer marathon at the time, only in its sixth year, so it was small. I was well on my way to qualifying until I collided with another runner at a water stop at mile 16. I spent the next several miles trying to figure out how to drop out of the race but all I saw were kids offering their Halloween candy to runners on the course. I wanted to drop out but I couldn't find a way to do it! I realized the quickest route to my car would be through the finish line and miserably limped to the finish, 25 minutes over my qualifying time.

2014 I was registered for the full but ended up dropping to the half and running it as a training run due to an injured hamstring.

I qualified for Boston in the Spring of 2015 and didn't think about racing for the rest of the year.

I ran both Boston and Big Sur in the Spring of 2016 and didn't race for the rest of the year.

2017, I ran Monumental in another Boston qualifying attempt. 

I was well on my way to qualifying when I injured my knee at mile 12. This time the shortest distance to my car was NOT through the finish line so I dropped out of the race and walked 5 miles to my car. This is my first and only DNF in a race.

2018, I had no interest in running this race.

2019, I registered for the full because I have a short memory. 

This again was supposed to be a Boston qualifying attempt. However, I ran across the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim two weeks before the race and sprained my ankle. I ended up hobbling across the Grand Canyon, then my ankle blew up the size of a grapefruit and I couldn't run for a week so I ended up dropping to the half. The only reason I even ran the half was because a group of Sole Sisters came into town to run the race together.

I haven't run this race since 2019. 

I have no intention to run this race for time.

I just want to have a good run and enjoy this course for once.

Period.