I read the funniest post yesterday afternoon (at least to me).
I was reading using an app on my iPhone and hangin’ with my Lovely Wife and I saw this post on a website called, “Johnny’s Rant on The Via Lehigh Valley Marathon”. Knowing all that TJ and I went through from the traffic jam before the race to waiting for hours for a bus to take us back to the starting line, I had to read and see what Johnny said.
He and I must have been in the same area much of the time. He mentions the issue with traffic (at least he didn’t go to the wrong hospital for the start of the race). He mentions the port potties. He mentions the buses (or lack there of). But he also mentioned other details that I forgot to mention or didn’t write about in detail.
It was so funny, because as I said, we must have been close together, especially waiting for the bus.
Oh and by the way, he said that like me, they offered him a complementary entry into next years race.
Anyway, I have never read a random article on the Internet that so closely paralleled my experience that took place somewhere 850 miles away from where I live.
Here is the link if you are interested.
http://www.believeintherun.com/index.php/2013/09/17/johnnys-rant-via-lehigh-valley-marathon/
Good writing Johnny. It made my night.
278 to Boston 
That’s amazing.
It was amazing in good and bad ways. But even the bad moments I look back on fondly as it was all part of the “experience”.
It doesn’t let you treat it as a forgettable experience does it? You and TJ will be talking about this 10 years from now saying, “remember that first crappy Lehigh Valley marathon we ran.”
Yeah, that is the truth! We had a good laugh yesterday as I read parts of the post to him. It was uncanny.
So horribly managed…such a shame for your first marathon, but it will definitely bring a lot of laughs for many years! That guy is funny–“a debilitating pizza addiction”? Good stuff!
It was a great post. My biggest issue was getting back to the hotel where my 2 boys were waiting for us. I was a bit in panic mode until I got to borrow someone’s phone as mine had died. After I got that worked out, it was an adventure. 🙂
The whole bus situation is just awful. I can’t imagine how the organizers missed that in the logistics. Kind of unforgivable if you ask me.
I may have written this before, but my issue was that I couldn’t really sit. I knew if I did, I would never be able to get back up. So 2 hours of standing after a quick 26.2 mile run wasn’t fun. I finally did decide to sit and 10 minutes later the bus came!
I know about tilting after a race! I’ve been struggling with getting up after sitting for a couple days now. It’s annoying because not too long ago, 13 miles wasn’t doing that to me, but my injury made me lose some training.
There’s really no excuse for your race bus situation. They should be issuing an apology to all racers, not just those publicly complaining.
I agree about the race issues. Especially after reading others issues. No food, no buses, few porta potties. They had a record attendance this year and I’m sure that won’t happen next without some type of apology.
I’m sorry to hear about your struggles after your race. I know the feeling. Taking off a week before my marathon because of my foot wasn’t the best idea, but it was either that or no race. I hope things come together for you soon!!!
Here’s another blogger’s take on the marathon that will make you 1) comforted you weren’t the only one to visit the *other* Lehigh Valley Hospital that morning and 2) perhaps glad you didn’t make it on an earlier bus (unless your trip was equally bad, of course):
http://blog.uninspiredtriathlete.com/2013/09/the-worst-ever-lehigh-valley-health.html
How horrible. I am glad I only had to weight a couple of hours for my air conditions bus. The bus ride was the best part of the post marathon experience. Also I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to get to the wrong hospital. They should have made it more clear that there were two of them!!!
Geez. I’m not signing up for this race anytime soon. For starters: how could they have not warned runners tat there was another Lehigh Valley Hospital? I’m shaking my head here.
I’ve worked as a volunteer in one race, just a 5k, and I was out on the water station. They gave us exactly 2 gallons of water for 100runners on a very humid day. The water station was in a pace where doodle could hit it going out and back. When I realized we wouldn’t have water for the slower runners, I took one of the empty jugs and sprinted to a bathroom to refill it (not a quick sprint, 1/4 mile, AND I’d just injured my foot). This gave me a small taste of what event planners are shortsighted on. I would’ve been mortified if the 8 months pregnant woman running didn’t have water!
My husband helps run swims as a safety director, and he thinks of EVERYTHING. It makes him crazy around event time, but he feels better knowing he’s got protocol for every possible Murphy’s Law snafu.
Don’t you love spell check!!!
Wow, there is a lot to keep up with in a race. I have not volunteered yet, but after reading what you’ve written, maybe I should so that I know what is involved. Good for your husband. Thinking of everything must be very stressful. And way to go working that hard with a hurt foot. I’m sure that didn’t help with the half marathon just a short while later. Good for you though taking care of those in the race. I wish there were more people like you in Allentown!
Lol, “doodle” should be “runners”. I don’t know how spellcheck picked that one!