October 20, 2025 • 36 mins
This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, it’s all about the biggest race weekend in Kansas City — the Garmin Kansas City Marathon! With more than 10,000 runners filling the streets, it was a celebration of endurance, community, and pure running joy. Kyle recaps an incredible couple of days, from setting up at the expo and meeting listeners to race-morning excitement and those powerful final-hour finishes that remind us why we love this sport. Whether you ran the full, the half, or cheered from the sidelines, this episode captures the electric energy that makes the KC Marathon the crown jewel of Midwest running. It was a big weekend for The Back of the Pack Podcast and the Chasing Rabbits Run Club — and a perfect way to open Season 4 with gratitude, grit, and celebration.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
Hello, everyone, greetings and salutations.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome back to another episode of the Back of the
Back podcast. I'm your host, Kyle Walker. Thank you so
much for tuning in. As you can see, we're trying
new things. We're trying to trying to upgrade and look
different in things like that. I'm not one hundred percent
sure I like this yet, hopefully you do. I hope
you like it, and hopefully the sound is okay. I
feel very echoey where I'm at right now. As you
(00:34):
can see, I got a brick wall with nothing but
lights on it. We have clearly very echoey room. Anyway,
this is the first episode of what we're calling season four.
Is there a rhyme or reason to our seasons, No,
not really, We just always changed them over when we
get to the Garman Kansas City Marathon and that was
the weekend that we just had. That is all we're
going to be talking about on this week's episode because
this is one of the biggest running weekends in Kansas City.
(00:57):
So if you've never done the Garmin Kins City expot before,
I highly recommend it. Not the expo, the race and
the expo, all of it. I highly recommend it.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
It is a good experience.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
It's a wonderful time, and then showcases really the best
that Kansas City has to offer. This is the biggest
race in the Kansas City area. If you are not
familiar with the show, if you're new, as I fumble
all over myself to try and impress you, we are
based here in Kansas City, so most of the podcast
stuff comes out of Kansas City, and then we travel
around as best we can.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
If you're new, you may not have known that, now
you do. Now.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
The first thing I want to say when we start
this episode is if I met you this weekend at
the Garman Kansas City Marathon expo.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
See I told you we get to the expo part.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
If you are giving us a try based on meeting
me at the expo, then thank you so much. Even
if you only stay for thirty seconds longer in new side,
this is not for you. Thank you very much for
at least coming over talking to me and checking out
the podcast. We really do appreciate it. Now I'm seeing
I'm not lined up with the center light. That's okay,
I am a little off center, as most of you
(01:56):
already know. But yeah, this weekend the podcast had the
booth at the expo for the full two days, and
then of course we ran on Saturday morning.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
This was a busy weekend. Of course. We start by.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Going to Union Station, one of the most beautiful buildings
in Kansas City building that I absolutely love. That is
where the expo takes place. We head down there on Thursday.
We get set up and we are ready to greet
over ten thousand runners as this registration did pass ten thousand,
So congratulations to Dave into the Garman Kansaity Marathon. And
(02:29):
I am centering myself with this light right now, otherwise
it's gonna drive me crazy. Hey there we go. Now
we're mildly centered, look at me go. So anyway, we
set up on Thursday, and we met a lot of
runners on that first day and it was a lot
of fun. Thursday, I thought it was a little slow
for the old expo. Not gonna lie though, everyone who
stopped by it was great. My one beef with the
Garman Kansas City Expo, and I've told them this before
(02:51):
and I don't expect them to change it, just based
on what some idiot with a microphone says. It is
very difficult to get everyone's attention. So for the expo
for this race, when you come into the grand Hall
of Union Station, as you know, it is just a
straight shot down to the tables where all the packets are,
and then it's a straight shot out. You really do
not have to interact with any of the vendors unless
(03:15):
you really want to.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
A lot of people just want to get their stuff
and go.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
I get it. I've told you before. I used to
be that guy. I used to be the dude who
did not want the vendors to look at him. Don't
look at me, don't acknowledge me. I just want to
go get my stuff and get out of here as
quick as possible. Now that I'm on the flip side
of that and I am a vendor, now, I can't
believe that people don't want to interact with me and
don't want to talk to me and just want to
get their stuff and get out.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Now, it just doesn't make any sense.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
To me whatsoever. But it's okay, I get it because
I used to be that guy before. The people who
did stop by, it was a wonderful time. A lot
of people came over, got the little promotional material, got
a sticker, said hey, even got to take a few
pictures there on Day one of you know, just the
regular running fan, the people who always like to take
all of our pictures together.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
So it was a lovely day one.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Now, when Day one was finished, I had to high
tail it on out of there.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Why is my shoulder keep disappearing? This is weird. Hey,
there we go. Stay stay shoulder, stay, there we go.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
I had to high tail it out there and make
it to the meeting of the Chasing Rabbits Run Club.
As we know, the Chasing Rabbits Run Club meets every
other Thursday at Discourse Brewery. It was run club night,
but I knew because I was at the expo, I
was going to be late. Thank you to Bill for
taking over. He was our designated turtle for that evening,
and we partnered with I'm gonna grab their sticker and
probably throw everything all off.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Here. There we go with a shout out to Urban
Trail Company. There we go.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
There's their sticker and logo right there. So they are
a pretty cool organization that helps restore trails around town,
and they're kind of more of the biking trail running world,
but they do a lot of work in the community
to keep trails up, so it really was their night.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
All.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
They had launched a new beer in I don't know,
with Discourse Brewery, and so they had an Urban Trail
Company beer that people were trying out.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
I definitely had.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
One myself, and then money the proceeds from that beer
went back to Urban Trail. There was a food truck
out there, so really we just kind of piggybacked off
their evening the Chasing Rabbits Run Club did.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
But it was really a great night.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
When I got there, the patio was packed between both groups.
It was a packed patio. It was a beautiful night.
And hopefully the food truck that came out and then
Urban Trail Company, I hope everybody did well. Discourse, I'm
sure did well with all of us drinking runners out there,
and then the run club had a great turnout even
though I wasn't there to start. It's fine, y'all don't
(05:36):
need me. Did perfectly well without me. So thank you
to everyone who showed up for the Chasing Rabbits run Club. Now,
if you were coming to the next Chasing Rabbits run Club,
and you should, because if you're not, I'm now going
to peer pressure you into coming. Think about this now.
This is for the new people and for existing members.
Just so everyone knows, we will be running the night
(05:57):
before Halloween. It will be October thirtieth. That means, of
course our theme. It's a costume night. Where are your
Halloween costumes to come run in? But the one thing,
newbies and existing members, the one thing we need to
start bringing our headlamps. Bring some form of light because
the days are getting short. It was definitely it was
(06:18):
dark by the time some people were done finishing their run.
And even though we do the same route and you
might know it pretty well when you're on loll okay,
if you come out and you're new, if when you're
on loll there's a few places where the sidewalk gets
a little janky. We don't want anyone trill falling or tripping,
hurting themselves, nothing like that. So let's all start bringing
(06:38):
some headlamps to use on our run. Bring a little
flashlight with you if you prefer that. I've even seen
now some of the waste pouches, you know, almost like
fanny packs, but they have lights on them that kind
of angle down at the sidewalk and at the road. Great,
whatever you need to bring bring it with you. Let's
start lighting it up when we're out on our runs.
That way traffic can see us, we can see the sidewalks,
(06:59):
so it's all just kind of be safe. And again,
on this week's episode, coming up on Friday, Back at
the Back podcast, Second Wind, we're talking all about night running.
That one got delayed by a week, but it is
coming up this week, so we're gonna talk night running.
We're gonna talk about headlamps and spotlights and flashlights in safety.
All that stuff is coming up on Friday's episode. So
if you need to refresher on that, tune in on Friday.
(07:21):
If you're coming out on next Thursday, on October thirtieth,
make sure you bring your stuff, dress up, bring some light.
We're all gonna be great, great, great, All right. On Friday,
it was a long day, long day at the Garment
Kansas City Marathon expo, but it was a good day.
It was on Friday where Dave, the race director, who
has been on this podcast six times, came out and said, hey,
(07:42):
we finally crossed ten thousand, so it is the biggest
Garman Kansas City Marathon since two thousand and thirteen.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
So it means, you know, everything declined due to the RONA.
We all get that it has been a slow build
back since RONA, but it sounds like they've made it
big race since twenty thirteen. So there was kind of
a renewed sense of purpose and a renewed excitement or
kind of buzzing around the expo as everyone was kind
of getting informed, Hey, we passed ten thousand, and for
(08:10):
us vendors, that means there's gonna be a lot of
people coming in today to get their packets. And that's
super cool because hey, the more of the merrier, right
because we want people now.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
I was let's see where was I. I was kind
of in between.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Well, we had an energy packet company next to us,
but there was a gap in between. I was by
the gap that led to the restrooms, so it was
kind of on an end so.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
That was cool.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
And then next to me a shout out to Elysium
Run Club. I was unfamiliar with them, but they were
my podcast neighbors, or not my podcast neighbors, my vendor neighbors,
but Elysium Run Club.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
They're north of the river.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
But another kind of like the chasing Rabbits Run Club
another run club that is new, trying to start up,
trying to get people out, and they do a lot
of various things on Saturday mornings when they meet, but
they will bring out food trucks and coffee trucks and
vendors just for run club. So I thought that was
very cool, so I wanted to make sure to give
them a shout out. They're perfectly lovely neighbors. And then
(09:03):
they also had an eight station slash cheer station during
the half marathon, so I thought that was pretty cool
as well. So Elysium Run Club, especially if you're north
of the River, check them out.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
It sounds like a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I will have to get out there someday and kind
of see what they got going on on their Saturday mornings,
because to me, it sounded like a really good time.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
But Friday was a busy day at the expo.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
A lot more people came through, a lot of the
out of towners must have come into town. A lot
of the people getting off work headed down. It was
a good day at Union Station. Met a lot of
new people. To the point, some of us new people,
some of you new people have already either subscribed to Spotify,
or you scan the code and you went right into
the YouTube channel.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
All of you.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Thank you very much. That stuff is super important. Getting
the subscriptions and the scans of the codes and getting
people kind of signed up and registered is ah, it
is beautiful, It is wonderful. I thank you so very
much for kind of checking us out and joining our
little community. Hopefully you will enjoy it, and you will
continue on and you will find some benefit in listening
to these two times a week podcast. Yes, no, maybe
(10:06):
some do, some don't, but you all, shit, what are
you doing? Come on, We're awesome around here, right right?
So anyway, the expo was great, but trust me, when
the expo was over, I was ready to tear down.
It got pretty slow in that last thirty minutes, but I.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Hate my thing.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
If I'm at an expo, I'm gonna stay and I'm
gonna have everything all set up until quick in time.
While some people were already packed up and gone with
fifteen minutes left, I didn't tear down until seven o'clock.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
But then you can bet I tore down quickly, and
I tore out.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Of Union Station to head home, get some pasta and
get ready because my following morning was the Garment Kansas
City Half marathon, so it was a quick night, not
gonna lie, get home, eat, get showered up, get to bed.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Boom.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Next morning we are off and running. Alarm goes off
at five am. I actually work up, woke up at
four fifty eight.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Don't you love that?
Speaker 2 (10:55):
And that's just the best when you wake up like
two minutes before your alarm is supposed to go off.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yeah right, there is nothing more frustrating than when that
nonsense happens.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Then anyway, I am up, I'm out of bed, I
am dressed, and I am down the road. I like
to go to the marathon early, like I don't want
to mess with traffic, so I know I was there
super early. I was parking on the plaza at about
five forty five in the morning. I got a great
parking spot. I didn't know that there were other activities
(11:23):
planned for the plaza that afternoon, so what I thought
was a great parking spot, and what had previously always
been a great parking spot for me turned into a
nightmare by the time we were done.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
But we'll get to that later.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
So anyway, I park at five forty five am, I'm
out of the car, I got my stuff, and I'm
heading off towards Nelson Atkin's Art Museum to the start line. Now,
this year, the start line was in the same spot,
but everyone had to line up because we had to
start going the opposite direction. There were changes made to
this year's course. Now, if I talk to you at
(11:57):
the expo and I kind of gave you maybe a
little bit of a course preview, I was both right
and I was both wrong. There were certainly changes that
I got right, and then there were changes I didn't
know about. So I told you about parts of the
course that were wrong. So if I was wrong, I apologize.
I know there are definitely some people, let's say I
told incorrectly because I didn't know about some changes made
(12:21):
to the course due to construction. You gotta love it
when construction takes over. So anyway, we're there. We get
lined up early morning, but a warm morning. Kansas City
was in the midst of quite the warm streak. Man,
it had been warm, hot, even for weeks. It never
once felt seasonal, so our seasonal temperatures had not gotten
(12:42):
here yet. We were way up, and we were way
up on Saturday morning, the big cold front that kind
of got us in the fall was twenty four.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Hours too late.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Yeah, I love how that worked out, But we were
just twenty four hours too late in getting the good
weather and good temperatures. So we did have quite a
warm race. That means nobody was cold at the start line.
We're already in the upper sixties, lower seventies when that
race started, and we start in the dark.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
The sun's not even up yet, but everyone's kind of
standing around there.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
There is a place to drop your bags, there are
vendors out, there's a coffee tent. There was a water tint.
If you didn't remember to bring something to start the race,
good chance was you could get it there at the
start line. This race is very good at supporting the
runners before the race, all right, PORTA John's a plenty, Yes,
I know that. Fifteen minutes until race time, the lines
were long and there's nothing you can do about it.
(13:31):
That's never not going to be a thing. But when
I got there early, there was one person in front
of me for REPORTA John, and I went to the
close side. I went to the side near the start line.
There was a whole other gigantic row of Porta Pottis
over on the other side of the festival. That were
probably just sitting there wide open. Now again, fifteen ten
minutes before the race. I'm sure lines were on both sides,
(13:53):
and you know, it was a little hairy there.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
For a situation.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
But I do give credit to Garment Kansity marathon of
situations has never been a bad issue. You never hear
bad stories. The lines are not dishearteningly long. They can
just get a little long, but you will eventually get
in there. You'll probably get your business handle before the
start of the race, and everything is gonna be just fine.
It's gonna be okay, trust me. Just don't waste time
(14:17):
when you're in there, and when you get to the race,
go ahead and get in line.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Do the other stuff later. Did you guys see that?
Do you see that? Lavers like smoke going across my face?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
I had a little thing of incense burning and like
a big walk just went across. Anyway, So that morning
I actually ended up running into our buddy Greg, Greg
from up North. He is actually from Fargo and he
has been a long time listener in the show, so
shout out to you. He was doing the I thirty
five challenge. Now, if you've not heard of the I
thirty five challenge, let me enlighten you real quick. No,
(14:47):
I did not do the I thirty five challenge. I
have not done it. I would like to do it,
but it's gonna hurt. There's just no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
It's gonna hurt.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
What it is is the garment Kansas City Marathon has
partnered with I think it's IMT, the IMT Marathon in
Des Moines. So you can run either the half in
Kansas City and then drive up for Sunday and run
the half in Des Moines, or you can do full full.
There were people who were doing half full. You could
also go do full half. But if you do both
of those races on back to back days that Saturday
(15:16):
and Sunday morning, then you are accomplishing what they call
the I thirty five challenge. You get a third medal,
which is always super great, and you run both of
those distances. So Greg was down here from Fargo to
do the I thirty five challenge, which if you leave
and he talked about this, but if you leave Fargo
where it was like forty five degrees, you come to
(15:37):
Kansas City and run a race in real feel of
eighty and above. Then you go up to Iowa and
run a race which I think had like drizzle and
temperatures in the thirties.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Like you all over the place, man all over the place.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
But again, Kansas City just could not get that cold
front to finally get down here, and it did not
in time for the race. Killer but hung out with
him before the race, which super great. We get lined
up again, we're starting going a different direction. The start
line is in the same spot, but we are now
lining up on the east side of the start line,
not the west, which.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Means we're going to run heading into the east. I'm sorry,
I backed it up.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
I reversed it. We lined up on the west side
so that we could head east when the race started.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
That was new. Previously it had been the other way.
We'd lined up on the east side and we ran
to the west directions. Jeez.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
But the reason is Kansas City, if you are unfamiliar,
has built a streetcar. The streetcar keeps expanding. The city
of Kansas City, Missouri will not allow races to cross
over the tracks. They are not going to stop the
streetcar from going. For us, chucklehead runners, and so instead
of crossing their tracks even though it wasn't running at
(16:48):
that time in the morning, and going down the plaza,
we had to head the other direction and went down
some neighborhoods and then down and around I think to
almost U and KC and around. If we didn't get
to run the plaza like, it was a bummer. We
did not at any point get to run the plaza.
We ran along an edge of it. We kind of
went up what was it. It's not Grand Oh geez,
(17:11):
now my mind just completely failed. But anyway, we Broadway
maybe I think it was Broadway. Anyway, we run out Broadway,
which if you remember Old Hospital Hill half marathon, it
was that it was almost like a mile uphill or
almost a two mile uphill going up Broadway. So we
did not get any of the plaza. We also did
(17:32):
not get any of Westport except for an edge. It
used to be that we ran right by the heart
of Westport. Nope, not this time. Now we ran along
the edge of it. So the first two miles, maybe
even three miles of this race I found disappointing because
we didn't get to run by parts that I like.
It also increased elevation, so we're running along. The race
(17:53):
did start on time. I think the fireworks actually started
a little early with this change in corral where we're
lining up on the other side, we had to wrap
around the street and like through this grassy area. It
was a disaster. Runners trying to kind of shove their
way up to the paces they want to be, the
people who got their late or the people who just
got out of the Portagohns, I am. I don't want
(18:16):
to say bad things about the garment casey to marathon,
and you know, overall I love this race.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
The start line situation was garbage.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
It was real bad. Nobody was having a good time.
Everyone was packed in there like Sardine's more so than normal.
And this whole wrap around effect that we had going
just got people confused.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
It got people a little upset.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Another issue that we had and maybe it's been like
this forever, I don't know, and someone actually had to
explain it to me. It's odd if I have to
actually be explained something, because I've done this a long time.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
I know a lot of things. I guess not everything.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
There were people asking about the pacing signs because there
were pacers out there for the fall and the half,
they were using pretty much the same signs. So when
I saw a three hour, like, okay, is that three
hour for the full of which I don't have a
snowballs chance in hell? Or is that three hour for
the half, which, okay, there we go, that makes more sense. Apparently,
the only difference in pacing sign was the color of
(19:06):
the numbers. If they were black numbers, it was the fall.
If there are red numbers, it was the half. But man,
I'll tell you, that's kind of hard to keep track
of when you're just seeing a bunch of pacing signs
sticking up in the air.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
You're already packed in there.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
People are kind of, you know, shoving into each other
to try and get where they think they need to go,
and they may not even understand the color coordination either.
And so again, the starting corral was just a big
old mess.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
But we made it through.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
We got there, We eventually survived. The race began, they
set up the fireworks. It probably took I don't know,
maybe ten probably ten minutes from the start of the
race before I finally got around to the start line
because I couldn't move up any further. I just was
hanging out with Amy at the two fifty five pacer.
I wanted to move up a little more, but I
couldn't move up anymore because it was just it was
two packed and I wasn't gonna be one of those
(19:51):
people just trying to boom boom boom shoulder my way through.
It wasn't that crucial for me to start, you know,
at an earlier point whatever. So I ended up starting
with the two fifty fives, which means I'm towards the
back and it takes a while to wrap around and
get to that start line. Once we get to the
start line, though, we're off so again we go past
Nelson Atkins and that's great. Then we immediately take a
(20:13):
right turn and we go down some streets and we're
on the very very very east side of the Plaza,
and then we head down and we'd pick up what
was a lot of the course of the Plaza ten k.
So if you've done the Plaza ten k, we were
actually doing a lot of that course in the first
two miles of the race until we got back around
to Broadway, and then we started heading up Broadway, which
(20:33):
was the old Hospital Hill, so again, all this stuff
was very familiar. It just wasn't garming Kansas City Marathon.
We didn't go down the plaza, we didn't make the
right turn to go up the hill to Westport, we
didn't go through Westport. I didn't get to say hi
to Kelly's Westport in where we always meet in March
for the podcast birthday.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Like we missed all that. But we're going up Broadway,
up Broadway, up Broadway, up Broadway.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Super great. Guess what We're going up Broadway up Broadway
takes forever, at least it feels like it takes forever.
I guess the good part is where this is not
Old Hospital Hill, Old Hospital Hill that was like mile
ten eleven to twelve. Here this is mile like one,
two three, So you're a little fresher as you're taking
this long, long uphill up Broadway. We finally get up
(21:16):
Broadway and we kind of pick up where the course
used to be. All right, so we make up for
it a little bit. I was still correct in saying
that kind of mile four to five is where you
get both the best and the worst of this course.
So somewhere in mile four, maybe right before the mile
four mile marker is where you get Trinity Hill. Now,
I told people look for the dilapidated building on the right,
and then you go up those really short but really
(21:37):
steep part that's Trinity Hill. Okay, well it's not dilapidated
building anymore.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Now.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Guess what they're building more apartments and condos and that
kind of high rise, fancy dancy stuff that is now
springing up all over the city. But it looks like
a big old apartment building is being built there where
it's where it used to be a dead building now
right along Trinity Hill. So there was construction going and
what was already a very narrow path was even more
(22:04):
narrow as they had blockades up to keep.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
People away from the construction. But anyway up Trinity Hill
we go.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
And I took that down to a walk one hundred percent,
because that's what I was gonna do going up that hill.
And when you get to the top, Eternity Hill is
where you get the best view of downtown, at least
it used to be. Now this apartment complex is like
taking away half the view because it's so big and
so tall, and it's now stretching back so far. When
(22:30):
you get to the top Attornity Hill. You can see
the World War One Memorial, and you can see the
top of Union Station, and you can see the Coffin
Center of Performing Arts. But once you get kind of
here mid into the right, all you see is the
ass end of that new apartment complex. I know that
these are all the rage, and I know they bring
in bookoo bucks for the people that own them. But
all these apartment complexes, especially like here in the Shawnee
(22:53):
or in Overland Park where I live, they have like
killed some of the ambiance of Kansas City. And you
can disagree with me if you, and that's super great,
and that's fine. I welcome your disagreement. But when you
look at like Old Mission where it used to be,
there was not a building over one story tall, and
it was old school and it was old style, and
now you get that five story apartment building that towers
above everything else. I think they looked terrible. I think
(23:18):
they looked terrible. And it's super great that they have
granite countertops and they charge you nineteen hundred dollars a month,
but I think they're garbage and I don't.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Like them anyway.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I'm gonna get off my soapbox now and I'll get
back to the race review.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Sorry any who.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
All right after that, though, after you get up Trinity Hill,
even if your view is now a little diminished, you
get the really long, long, long downhill towards mile marker
four and then five. As you head all the way
down the hill, pass World War One all the way
down to the Union Station, take a ride on or
a left on Pershing, go to the next rope, and
(23:52):
then you kind of go up the hill and anyway.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
You get a real long downhill. So I lost where
I was on that, and because I know what's coming next.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Once you get to about mile marker five, that's where
you have the uphill going to the Kaffin Center for
the Performing Arts. That is the worst hill on the course.
I'm not a fan of it. Trinity Hill is much shorter.
This one is much longer, and even if you walk it,
by the time you get to the top you felt
like you have really gone up a three block long
hill to the Coffin Center. And then this year, okay,
(24:22):
so we take the right and we're going in front
of the Coffin Center and there's the beams and the
ropes that are you know the cables above us, and
you're right next to the Coffin Center and it's very
pretty and you get a good view of downtown and
oh look the sun is rising and it's already hunt
and we're already sweating to death. That's super great. Then
you get the downhill as you leave the Coffin Center.
Then you get the uphill as you're going around Kaufman Center. Now,
previously that downhill that you see is what you get
(24:45):
to go to next, as it takes you to downtown
Kansas City, Missouri. Not this year, because of construction coming
up later, we had to make up the miles. Now
instead they make another left turn and we go up
another hill to go almost completely around the Kaufman Center.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
So we go up a block left and which is
all uphill. Then we take a right, which is more uphill.
Now we get to go into downtown. But more hills were.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Added, and man, after that hill towards mile five, you
don't want more hills, and you get more hills, more
hills around the Kaufman Center. That was brutal, and that
really took it out of me. Not to mention, I
didn't know that was coming. So it was also a
little peeved about it. I definitely was miffed at that point.
I was miffed because I was having a bad race.
It started well, quickly went bad.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
More on that later.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
And then I didn't like these uphills around Coffin Center
because I was already dreading the first one. I was
already dreading the first hill Aroundkaffin Center, So why am
I gonna want more than I didn't know about?
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Now? It kind of took me off either.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Which way we go down the next hill, and then
I think we jog over to where we previously were,
you know, in other years, and then we get back
to the course as we know it.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
All right.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Great, when you're going through downtown Cansin, Missouri, a lot
of up, lot of down. You're rolling, rolling rolland no problem.
You get to the north side of Cansina, Missouri. You
take your right, rolling rolling roll and take another right.
I think you're again either on Grand or Broadway or something.
But that is kind of the turn where now you're
heading back. All right, So you were finally completed the
(26:12):
turn to take you back home. You're going down the
hard kan City, Missouri downtown. Great, nice little downhill there
you make a left, you go up the hill, you
see the sprints center. Then you get another great like
almost mile long downhill around mile eight. It is wonderful.
This though, as has been documented documented previously, my knee injury,
(26:34):
my issue with the knee, we'll talk about on a
different episode now that MRIs are back. That downhill at
mile eight that did my knee in, my patella, my patello,
which is doing no good. That's the fancy thing for
your kneecap. Fancy word for your kneecap. Once we got
to the bottom of that hill, it was now shifting
with every step, this loud click as I went.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Click click click, click click click.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Up and down every step after that long downhill and
I love downhills. Downhills helped me breathe. Downhill also not
good for knee.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Who to funk it.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
But when we get to the bomb that hill and
then we kind of straight out on the path that's
taking this down to eighteenth and Vine, I had to
walk a lot and I was sitting there kind of
banging on my knee like, dude, what is this?
Speaker 1 (27:18):
What is this? Up and down? I feel you floating
and moving with every step.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
That was not good, and really it kind of never
went away for the remainder of my race, which is
why my race wasn't so great. But we head down,
all right, Now we're heading to the one of the
points that I really like. This is where we get
to eighteenth and Vine. This is the Jazz district, all right.
This is the Jazz Museum, the Negro League Baseball Museum.
It's you know, where the jazz band is out playing.
(27:44):
It's a beautiful part of town. And we're heading there
and I see it and it's closed, and so we
just make a right turn and we go away from
eighteenth and Vine. Now what this is, this is what
is making up or what it was made up for
went up that hill at Kaufman Center. They were adding
the miles there because we lost them here at eighteenth
(28:05):
to Vine by not going down eighteenth and Vine and
then turning around and coming back eighteenth and Vine, going
by all the Jazz Museum in Eago League Baseball Museum.
We were going by all that, but the whole road
was just torn to shit.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
It was gone.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
I guess they're repaving, redoing, resurfacing, expanding the sidewalks even
maybe I don't know, but it was gone, and so
we didn't get to do that part. That's where the
extra hills came from. And now we just make a
right turn heading towards mile nine and completely away from
the jazz district. That was disheartening, and again another one
I didn't know was coming. Boom didn't like that at all.
(28:41):
At this point, we're at mile nine, four miles left.
The heat is an issue. It was hot. Like I said,
the cold front that was on our way got here
twenty four hours too late.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
The real field was in the eighties. The sun was
beating down.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
It was a muggy, muggy morning because it had rained overnight.
We finally got some rain, but it was overnight and
it increased the humidity greatly during this race.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
So mile nine, mile ten, mile eleven.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
I am having a horrid race. My knee hurts, it's
clicking every time I walk. It's hot, it's humid. Bad bad,
bad performance either rich way, what do we do? Though?
Speaker 1 (29:16):
We get it done.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
The two fifty pacers passed me with like two miles left,
and I was pretty pissed about that. Pardon my French.
I didn't like that they passed me. I think they
were fast, and they were figured that out after the
fact because they finished way in front of me. The
two fifty pacer who ticked me off made me angry
because I knew I wasn't there.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
I finished it two fifty fifteen.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Well, they were passed me by about five minutes, not
fifteen seconds, but.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Either hich way.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I came across another runner with about a mile left,
maybe a mile and a half, and I didn't catch
a gentleman's name, tall gentleman. He was wearing a black
and blue shirt. He was struggling, he was riding. That
struggle was hard. But hey, my man, you did great
and you finished that race because I saw you to
finish line and we fist bumped afterwards, and again I'm
sorry I didn't catch your name, but you did a
fantastic job. We kind of walked up the last nasty
(30:04):
hill together as we were just kind of sharing in
our misery, and then I was able to take off
a little better down the next downhill. He had some
blister issues, but good, good job out of you, my man.
But we finished the race again, two fifty to fifteen.
Not where I want to be. I am not where
I want to be. Right now, just training wise, fitness wise,
I got a lot of work to do with the
Tokyo Marathon coming up. Yeah, like for sure, man. So
(30:27):
I finished the race, didn't feel great. Once I kind
of sat down for a while, the knee issue kind
of took care of itself. The patella, I guess, fell
back into place where it was supposed to be, which
was great.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Glad that happened.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
So I was able to walk around the rest of
the day, you know, around the festival, no problem. I
got my free adult beverage, I got my free sandwich.
I sat down in the festival area. I was joined
by a lot of the running fan as everyone just
kind of met at the table.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
We shot the.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Breeze, we had our food, we had our beverages, and
then slowly people started to bid at you.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Now I could not leave.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Why because we, as both the Back of the Pack
podcast and the Chasing Rabbits run club, were committed to
staying for the six hour celebration. This is what I
told you about a week or so ago, where they
had asked the run clubs around town please stick around
for the last hour of the race. Let's keep the
energy up, Let's keep the noise going. Let's support all
the runners coming in during the last hour of the race,
(31:21):
And yeah, you asked me to do that, I'm one
hundred percent in and so I was happy to do so.
So what I did was I left and I ran
down to my car on the plaza and I got
our pirate turtle flag that we used for the Chasing
Rabbits Run Club. I put on my Chasing Rabbits Run
Club hat and brought that, and then I got a
big old cow bell that had both the back of
the Pack podcast sticker and the Chasing Rabbits Run Club
(31:43):
sticker on it. And then I walked all the way
back to the finish line so that I could be
there to loudly support all the runners coming in. And
I'm glad that I did so. Right at the five
hour mark, Bethany, you came in. I don't know if
you heard me screaming at you, but congratulations on your
full way to crush at young lady.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
That was awesome.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I was like trying to walk up to the fence
and then I saw you like flying down the finishing shoot.
So I was ringing my bell and yelling as quick
as I could. But you kind of snuck up on
me there, but then hung around. We stayed for five
point fifteen, the five fifteen pacers came through, five and
a half, five forty five, the six hours, and we're
still there now after the six hours. Again, technically the
(32:23):
race was done credit to the garment Kensiti Marathon though
they keep it open. They kept everything plugged in and
they were gonna let people finish that race, and that
is awesome. Now, once we got past one o'clock in
the afternoon, they had to open roads back up, which
means the runners had to obey pardon me, my NOSI
runners had to start obeying traffic laws, which slowed a
(32:44):
lot of them down. But there were still a lot
of people coming in even after that six hour mark.
So I stayed until I think damn near everyone got in.
I might have missed one at the end. I want
to give credit to the members of Run eight one
six that stayed in, stayed a very long time, and
made a big old hoopla about it. So Run eight
(33:04):
one six, your people did really well. The Casey Smart Pacers.
You had three folks stay behind to help support people
and get him in. You all did a great job.
Good job out of you. Andrew, the Casey Cosplay runner,
he stayed with me as kind of a rep of
the Back in the Back podcast and the Chasing Rabbits
Run Club and the Casey Cosplay runner.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
He stayed with me and he did it.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
So run eight one six, Casey Smart Pacers, Chasing Rabbits
Run Club.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
We were there all right.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
So if anyone from Garment kan City Marathon is listening
to this, if you made it this far, we three
were there to make sure everyone got in, So getting
credit where credit is due.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Those people all did a.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Great job, and I think we got everyone down down
the finishing pipe as best we could. I finally had
to tear out of there after two o'clock in the
afternoon at what had been a long day, and I
wanted to get back to my car and I wanted
to get out of there.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Now.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
No political statements being made, becaus we do not do
that on this podcast. I am speaking simply for me
and my personal convenience when I say that I had
no clue there was going to.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Be a political rally held.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
On the same day as the Garment Can't City Marathon
and held two blocks away, and I had to walk
through all of it to try and get back to
my car to get the hell out of there, thankfully,
and I had to fight my way through as basically
walking down the middle of the street because no one
was able to move, like traffic was stopped because of
all the people down there, and they were all just
(34:33):
kind of meandering wherever they felt like going.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
So I was walking down the middle of the road.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Because of the sidewalks were covered with folks. And I
finally made it to my car. But roads are being
closed because apparently there was a march that was being planned.
It wasn't just a gathering at the park. They wanted
to march as well, so roads are being closed. So
it took me four ever in a day to get
off the plaza and get back home, but I did
finally make it. Thankfully, I survived that day. It was
(34:58):
a hot one, a lot of fun though, Like I
had a great time again, credit to the group's has stayed,
Credit to Dave and everyone at the Casey Sports Commission
and the Garment Kansas City Marathon.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
It was a wonderful event.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Again, this is kind of our signature Kansas City event,
so I was glad to be a part of it.
Glad that we were at the expo, and glad that
we could just have some fun while we were there,
helping everyone finish fun while we ran the race. Credits
all the pacers out there who did a great job,
all the runners who completed a run in less than
ideal conditions. You guys all did great. Although I think
(35:30):
it was just it was. It was a damn good
day for the running community of Kansas City. So that's
where we're gonna leave it. Kansas City running community, be proud.
You showed up, you showed out, you did well, and
I am proud of us. I am proud of us.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
So that is gonna do it.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
For this week's episode of the Back of the Pack podcast,
I am your host, Kyle Walker. If you are new here,
thank you very much for tuning in. Hopefully you guys
like the new backgrounds and whatnot. That's what we got.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
So next weekend we're gonna be at the Monster Dash
five k's.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
We're gonna Kyle Die dial things back a little bit
after this week's Crazy half marathon, and then we're gonna
be zooming on in October. If you can believe that
October or I'm not October November. Jeez, weave zooming into
November which is almost here, and uh yeah, then it's
almost time for Good Life have Sing.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
So it's getting close.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
So like I said, that's gonna do it. But this
week's episode Back to Back Podcast, I'm Rrol Skywalker, my pleasure.
As always, everyone, have a safe week of training. We
will see you next week
Hello, everyone, greetings and salutations.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome back to another episode of the Back of the
Back podcast. I'm your host, Kyle Walker. Thank you so
much for tuning in. As you can see, we're trying
new things. We're trying to trying to upgrade and look
different in things like that. I'm not one hundred percent
sure I like this yet, hopefully you do. I hope
you like it, and hopefully the sound is okay. I
feel very echoey where I'm at right now. As you
(00:34):
can see, I got a brick wall with nothing but
lights on it. We have clearly very echoey room. Anyway,
this is the first episode of what we're calling season four.
Is there a rhyme or reason to our seasons, No,
not really, We just always changed them over when we
get to the Garman Kansas City Marathon and that was
the weekend that we just had. That is all we're
going to be talking about on this week's episode because
this is one of the biggest running weekends in Kansas City.
(00:57):
So if you've never done the Garmin Kins City expot before,
I highly recommend it. Not the expo, the race and
the expo, all of it. I highly recommend it.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
It is a good experience.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
It's a wonderful time, and then showcases really the best
that Kansas City has to offer. This is the biggest
race in the Kansas City area. If you are not
familiar with the show, if you're new, as I fumble
all over myself to try and impress you, we are
based here in Kansas City, so most of the podcast
stuff comes out of Kansas City, and then we travel
around as best we can.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
If you're new, you may not have known that, now
you do. Now.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
The first thing I want to say when we start
this episode is if I met you this weekend at
the Garman Kansas City Marathon expo.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
See I told you we get to the expo part.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
If you are giving us a try based on meeting
me at the expo, then thank you so much. Even
if you only stay for thirty seconds longer in new side,
this is not for you. Thank you very much for
at least coming over talking to me and checking out
the podcast. We really do appreciate it. Now I'm seeing
I'm not lined up with the center light. That's okay,
I am a little off center, as most of you
(01:56):
already know. But yeah, this weekend the podcast had the
booth at the expo for the full two days, and
then of course we ran on Saturday morning.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
This was a busy weekend. Of course. We start by.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Going to Union Station, one of the most beautiful buildings
in Kansas City building that I absolutely love. That is
where the expo takes place. We head down there on Thursday.
We get set up and we are ready to greet
over ten thousand runners as this registration did pass ten thousand,
So congratulations to Dave into the Garman Kansaity Marathon. And
(02:29):
I am centering myself with this light right now, otherwise
it's gonna drive me crazy. Hey there we go. Now
we're mildly centered, look at me go. So anyway, we
set up on Thursday, and we met a lot of
runners on that first day and it was a lot
of fun. Thursday, I thought it was a little slow
for the old expo. Not gonna lie though, everyone who
stopped by it was great. My one beef with the
Garman Kansas City Expo, and I've told them this before
(02:51):
and I don't expect them to change it, just based
on what some idiot with a microphone says. It is
very difficult to get everyone's attention. So for the expo
for this race, when you come into the grand Hall
of Union Station, as you know, it is just a
straight shot down to the tables where all the packets are,
and then it's a straight shot out. You really do
not have to interact with any of the vendors unless
(03:15):
you really want to.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
A lot of people just want to get their stuff
and go.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
I get it. I've told you before. I used to
be that guy. I used to be the dude who
did not want the vendors to look at him. Don't
look at me, don't acknowledge me. I just want to
go get my stuff and get out of here as
quick as possible. Now that I'm on the flip side
of that and I am a vendor, now, I can't
believe that people don't want to interact with me and
don't want to talk to me and just want to
get their stuff and get out.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Now, it just doesn't make any sense.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
To me whatsoever. But it's okay, I get it because
I used to be that guy before. The people who
did stop by, it was a wonderful time. A lot
of people came over, got the little promotional material, got
a sticker, said hey, even got to take a few
pictures there on Day one of you know, just the
regular running fan, the people who always like to take
all of our pictures together.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
So it was a lovely day one.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Now, when Day one was finished, I had to high
tail it on out of there.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Why is my shoulder keep disappearing? This is weird. Hey,
there we go. Stay stay shoulder, stay, there we go.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
I had to high tail it out there and make
it to the meeting of the Chasing Rabbits Run Club.
As we know, the Chasing Rabbits Run Club meets every
other Thursday at Discourse Brewery. It was run club night,
but I knew because I was at the expo, I
was going to be late. Thank you to Bill for
taking over. He was our designated turtle for that evening,
and we partnered with I'm gonna grab their sticker and
probably throw everything all off.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Here. There we go with a shout out to Urban
Trail Company. There we go.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
There's their sticker and logo right there. So they are
a pretty cool organization that helps restore trails around town,
and they're kind of more of the biking trail running world,
but they do a lot of work in the community
to keep trails up, so it really was their night.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
All.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
They had launched a new beer in I don't know,
with Discourse Brewery, and so they had an Urban Trail
Company beer that people were trying out.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
I definitely had.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
One myself, and then money the proceeds from that beer
went back to Urban Trail. There was a food truck
out there, so really we just kind of piggybacked off
their evening the Chasing Rabbits Run Club did.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
But it was really a great night.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
When I got there, the patio was packed between both groups.
It was a packed patio. It was a beautiful night.
And hopefully the food truck that came out and then
Urban Trail Company, I hope everybody did well. Discourse, I'm
sure did well with all of us drinking runners out there,
and then the run club had a great turnout even
though I wasn't there to start. It's fine, y'all don't
(05:36):
need me. Did perfectly well without me. So thank you
to everyone who showed up for the Chasing Rabbits run Club. Now,
if you were coming to the next Chasing Rabbits run Club,
and you should, because if you're not, I'm now going
to peer pressure you into coming. Think about this now.
This is for the new people and for existing members.
Just so everyone knows, we will be running the night
(05:57):
before Halloween. It will be October thirtieth. That means, of
course our theme. It's a costume night. Where are your
Halloween costumes to come run in? But the one thing,
newbies and existing members, the one thing we need to
start bringing our headlamps. Bring some form of light because
the days are getting short. It was definitely it was
(06:18):
dark by the time some people were done finishing their run.
And even though we do the same route and you
might know it pretty well when you're on loll okay,
if you come out and you're new, if when you're
on loll there's a few places where the sidewalk gets
a little janky. We don't want anyone trill falling or tripping,
hurting themselves, nothing like that. So let's all start bringing
(06:38):
some headlamps to use on our run. Bring a little
flashlight with you if you prefer that. I've even seen
now some of the waste pouches, you know, almost like
fanny packs, but they have lights on them that kind
of angle down at the sidewalk and at the road. Great,
whatever you need to bring bring it with you. Let's
start lighting it up when we're out on our runs.
That way traffic can see us, we can see the sidewalks,
(06:59):
so it's all just kind of be safe. And again,
on this week's episode, coming up on Friday, Back at
the Back podcast, Second Wind, we're talking all about night running.
That one got delayed by a week, but it is
coming up this week, so we're gonna talk night running.
We're gonna talk about headlamps and spotlights and flashlights in safety.
All that stuff is coming up on Friday's episode. So
if you need to refresher on that, tune in on Friday.
(07:21):
If you're coming out on next Thursday, on October thirtieth,
make sure you bring your stuff, dress up, bring some light.
We're all gonna be great, great, great, All right. On Friday,
it was a long day, long day at the Garment
Kansas City Marathon expo, but it was a good day.
It was on Friday where Dave, the race director, who
has been on this podcast six times, came out and said, hey,
(07:42):
we finally crossed ten thousand, so it is the biggest
Garman Kansas City Marathon since two thousand and thirteen.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
So it means, you know, everything declined due to the RONA.
We all get that it has been a slow build
back since RONA, but it sounds like they've made it
big race since twenty thirteen. So there was kind of
a renewed sense of purpose and a renewed excitement or
kind of buzzing around the expo as everyone was kind
of getting informed, Hey, we passed ten thousand, and for
(08:10):
us vendors, that means there's gonna be a lot of
people coming in today to get their packets. And that's
super cool because hey, the more of the merrier, right
because we want people now.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
I was let's see where was I. I was kind
of in between.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Well, we had an energy packet company next to us,
but there was a gap in between. I was by
the gap that led to the restrooms, so it was
kind of on an end so.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
That was cool.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
And then next to me a shout out to Elysium
Run Club. I was unfamiliar with them, but they were
my podcast neighbors, or not my podcast neighbors, my vendor neighbors,
but Elysium Run Club.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
They're north of the river.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
But another kind of like the chasing Rabbits Run Club
another run club that is new, trying to start up,
trying to get people out, and they do a lot
of various things on Saturday mornings when they meet, but
they will bring out food trucks and coffee trucks and
vendors just for run club. So I thought that was
very cool, so I wanted to make sure to give
them a shout out. They're perfectly lovely neighbors. And then
(09:03):
they also had an eight station slash cheer station during
the half marathon, so I thought that was pretty cool
as well. So Elysium Run Club, especially if you're north
of the River, check them out.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
It sounds like a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I will have to get out there someday and kind
of see what they got going on on their Saturday mornings,
because to me, it sounded like a really good time.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
But Friday was a busy day at the expo.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
A lot more people came through, a lot of the
out of towners must have come into town. A lot
of the people getting off work headed down. It was
a good day at Union Station. Met a lot of
new people. To the point, some of us new people,
some of you new people have already either subscribed to Spotify,
or you scan the code and you went right into
the YouTube channel.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
All of you.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Thank you very much. That stuff is super important. Getting
the subscriptions and the scans of the codes and getting
people kind of signed up and registered is ah, it
is beautiful, It is wonderful. I thank you so very
much for kind of checking us out and joining our
little community. Hopefully you will enjoy it, and you will
continue on and you will find some benefit in listening
to these two times a week podcast. Yes, no, maybe
(10:06):
some do, some don't, but you all, shit, what are
you doing? Come on, We're awesome around here, right right?
So anyway, the expo was great, but trust me, when
the expo was over, I was ready to tear down.
It got pretty slow in that last thirty minutes, but I.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Hate my thing.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
If I'm at an expo, I'm gonna stay and I'm
gonna have everything all set up until quick in time.
While some people were already packed up and gone with
fifteen minutes left, I didn't tear down until seven o'clock.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
But then you can bet I tore down quickly, and
I tore out.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Of Union Station to head home, get some pasta and
get ready because my following morning was the Garment Kansas
City Half marathon, so it was a quick night, not
gonna lie, get home, eat, get showered up, get to bed.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Boom.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Next morning we are off and running. Alarm goes off
at five am. I actually work up, woke up at
four fifty eight.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Don't you love that?
Speaker 2 (10:55):
And that's just the best when you wake up like
two minutes before your alarm is supposed to go off.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yeah right, there is nothing more frustrating than when that
nonsense happens.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Then anyway, I am up, I'm out of bed, I
am dressed, and I am down the road. I like
to go to the marathon early, like I don't want
to mess with traffic, so I know I was there
super early. I was parking on the plaza at about
five forty five in the morning. I got a great
parking spot. I didn't know that there were other activities
(11:23):
planned for the plaza that afternoon, so what I thought
was a great parking spot, and what had previously always
been a great parking spot for me turned into a
nightmare by the time we were done.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
But we'll get to that later.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
So anyway, I park at five forty five am, I'm
out of the car, I got my stuff, and I'm
heading off towards Nelson Atkin's Art Museum to the start line. Now,
this year, the start line was in the same spot,
but everyone had to line up because we had to
start going the opposite direction. There were changes made to
this year's course. Now, if I talk to you at
(11:57):
the expo and I kind of gave you maybe a
little bit of a course preview, I was both right
and I was both wrong. There were certainly changes that
I got right, and then there were changes I didn't
know about. So I told you about parts of the
course that were wrong. So if I was wrong, I apologize.
I know there are definitely some people, let's say I
told incorrectly because I didn't know about some changes made
(12:21):
to the course due to construction. You gotta love it
when construction takes over. So anyway, we're there. We get
lined up early morning, but a warm morning. Kansas City
was in the midst of quite the warm streak. Man,
it had been warm, hot, even for weeks. It never
once felt seasonal, so our seasonal temperatures had not gotten
(12:42):
here yet. We were way up, and we were way
up on Saturday morning, the big cold front that kind
of got us in the fall was twenty four.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Hours too late.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Yeah, I love how that worked out, But we were
just twenty four hours too late in getting the good
weather and good temperatures. So we did have quite a
warm race. That means nobody was cold at the start line.
We're already in the upper sixties, lower seventies when that
race started, and we start in the dark.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
The sun's not even up yet, but everyone's kind of
standing around there.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
There is a place to drop your bags, there are
vendors out, there's a coffee tent. There was a water tint.
If you didn't remember to bring something to start the race,
good chance was you could get it there at the
start line. This race is very good at supporting the
runners before the race, all right, PORTA John's a plenty, Yes,
I know that. Fifteen minutes until race time, the lines
were long and there's nothing you can do about it.
(13:31):
That's never not going to be a thing. But when
I got there early, there was one person in front
of me for REPORTA John, and I went to the
close side. I went to the side near the start line.
There was a whole other gigantic row of Porta Pottis
over on the other side of the festival. That were
probably just sitting there wide open. Now again, fifteen ten
minutes before the race. I'm sure lines were on both sides,
(13:53):
and you know, it was a little hairy there.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
For a situation.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
But I do give credit to Garment Kansity marathon of
situations has never been a bad issue. You never hear
bad stories. The lines are not dishearteningly long. They can
just get a little long, but you will eventually get
in there. You'll probably get your business handle before the
start of the race, and everything is gonna be just fine.
It's gonna be okay, trust me. Just don't waste time
(14:17):
when you're in there, and when you get to the race,
go ahead and get in line.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Do the other stuff later. Did you guys see that?
Do you see that? Lavers like smoke going across my face?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
I had a little thing of incense burning and like
a big walk just went across. Anyway, So that morning
I actually ended up running into our buddy Greg, Greg
from up North. He is actually from Fargo and he
has been a long time listener in the show, so
shout out to you. He was doing the I thirty
five challenge. Now, if you've not heard of the I
thirty five challenge, let me enlighten you real quick. No,
(14:47):
I did not do the I thirty five challenge. I
have not done it. I would like to do it,
but it's gonna hurt. There's just no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
It's gonna hurt.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
What it is is the garment Kansas City Marathon has
partnered with I think it's IMT, the IMT Marathon in
Des Moines. So you can run either the half in
Kansas City and then drive up for Sunday and run
the half in Des Moines, or you can do full full.
There were people who were doing half full. You could
also go do full half. But if you do both
of those races on back to back days that Saturday
(15:16):
and Sunday morning, then you are accomplishing what they call
the I thirty five challenge. You get a third medal,
which is always super great, and you run both of
those distances. So Greg was down here from Fargo to
do the I thirty five challenge, which if you leave
and he talked about this, but if you leave Fargo
where it was like forty five degrees, you come to
(15:37):
Kansas City and run a race in real feel of
eighty and above. Then you go up to Iowa and
run a race which I think had like drizzle and
temperatures in the thirties.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Like you all over the place, man all over the place.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
But again, Kansas City just could not get that cold
front to finally get down here, and it did not
in time for the race. Killer but hung out with
him before the race, which super great. We get lined
up again, we're starting going a different direction. The start
line is in the same spot, but we are now
lining up on the east side of the start line,
not the west, which.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Means we're going to run heading into the east. I'm sorry,
I backed it up.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
I reversed it. We lined up on the west side
so that we could head east when the race started.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
That was new. Previously it had been the other way.
We'd lined up on the east side and we ran
to the west directions. Jeez.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
But the reason is Kansas City, if you are unfamiliar,
has built a streetcar. The streetcar keeps expanding. The city
of Kansas City, Missouri will not allow races to cross
over the tracks. They are not going to stop the
streetcar from going. For us, chucklehead runners, and so instead
of crossing their tracks even though it wasn't running at
(16:48):
that time in the morning, and going down the plaza,
we had to head the other direction and went down
some neighborhoods and then down and around I think to
almost U and KC and around. If we didn't get
to run the plaza like, it was a bummer. We
did not at any point get to run the plaza.
We ran along an edge of it. We kind of
went up what was it. It's not Grand Oh geez,
(17:11):
now my mind just completely failed. But anyway, we Broadway
maybe I think it was Broadway. Anyway, we run out Broadway,
which if you remember Old Hospital Hill half marathon, it
was that it was almost like a mile uphill or
almost a two mile uphill going up Broadway. So we
did not get any of the plaza. We also did
(17:32):
not get any of Westport except for an edge. It
used to be that we ran right by the heart
of Westport. Nope, not this time. Now we ran along
the edge of it. So the first two miles, maybe
even three miles of this race I found disappointing because
we didn't get to run by parts that I like.
It also increased elevation, so we're running along. The race
(17:53):
did start on time. I think the fireworks actually started
a little early with this change in corral where we're
lining up on the other side, we had to wrap
around the street and like through this grassy area. It
was a disaster. Runners trying to kind of shove their
way up to the paces they want to be, the
people who got their late or the people who just
got out of the Portagohns, I am. I don't want
(18:16):
to say bad things about the garment casey to marathon,
and you know, overall I love this race.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
The start line situation was garbage.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
It was real bad. Nobody was having a good time.
Everyone was packed in there like Sardine's more so than normal.
And this whole wrap around effect that we had going
just got people confused.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
It got people a little upset.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Another issue that we had and maybe it's been like
this forever, I don't know, and someone actually had to
explain it to me. It's odd if I have to
actually be explained something, because I've done this a long time.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
I know a lot of things. I guess not everything.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
There were people asking about the pacing signs because there
were pacers out there for the fall and the half,
they were using pretty much the same signs. So when
I saw a three hour, like, okay, is that three
hour for the full of which I don't have a
snowballs chance in hell? Or is that three hour for
the half, which, okay, there we go, that makes more sense. Apparently,
the only difference in pacing sign was the color of
(19:06):
the numbers. If they were black numbers, it was the fall.
If there are red numbers, it was the half. But man,
I'll tell you, that's kind of hard to keep track
of when you're just seeing a bunch of pacing signs
sticking up in the air.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
You're already packed in there.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
People are kind of, you know, shoving into each other
to try and get where they think they need to go,
and they may not even understand the color coordination either.
And so again, the starting corral was just a big
old mess.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
But we made it through.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
We got there, We eventually survived. The race began, they
set up the fireworks. It probably took I don't know,
maybe ten probably ten minutes from the start of the
race before I finally got around to the start line
because I couldn't move up any further. I just was
hanging out with Amy at the two fifty five pacer.
I wanted to move up a little more, but I
couldn't move up anymore because it was just it was
two packed and I wasn't gonna be one of those
(19:51):
people just trying to boom boom boom shoulder my way through.
It wasn't that crucial for me to start, you know,
at an earlier point whatever. So I ended up starting
with the two fifty fives, which means I'm towards the
back and it takes a while to wrap around and
get to that start line. Once we get to the
start line, though, we're off so again we go past
Nelson Atkins and that's great. Then we immediately take a
(20:13):
right turn and we go down some streets and we're
on the very very very east side of the Plaza,
and then we head down and we'd pick up what
was a lot of the course of the Plaza ten k.
So if you've done the Plaza ten k, we were
actually doing a lot of that course in the first
two miles of the race until we got back around
to Broadway, and then we started heading up Broadway, which
(20:33):
was the old Hospital Hill, so again, all this stuff
was very familiar. It just wasn't garming Kansas City Marathon.
We didn't go down the plaza, we didn't make the
right turn to go up the hill to Westport, we
didn't go through Westport. I didn't get to say hi
to Kelly's Westport in where we always meet in March
for the podcast birthday.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Like we missed all that. But we're going up Broadway,
up Broadway, up Broadway, up Broadway.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Super great. Guess what We're going up Broadway up Broadway
takes forever, at least it feels like it takes forever.
I guess the good part is where this is not
Old Hospital Hill, Old Hospital Hill that was like mile
ten eleven to twelve. Here this is mile like one,
two three, So you're a little fresher as you're taking
this long, long uphill up Broadway. We finally get up
(21:16):
Broadway and we kind of pick up where the course
used to be. All right, so we make up for
it a little bit. I was still correct in saying
that kind of mile four to five is where you
get both the best and the worst of this course.
So somewhere in mile four, maybe right before the mile
four mile marker is where you get Trinity Hill. Now,
I told people look for the dilapidated building on the right,
and then you go up those really short but really
(21:37):
steep part that's Trinity Hill. Okay, well it's not dilapidated
building anymore.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Now.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Guess what they're building more apartments and condos and that
kind of high rise, fancy dancy stuff that is now
springing up all over the city. But it looks like
a big old apartment building is being built there where
it's where it used to be a dead building now
right along Trinity Hill. So there was construction going and
what was already a very narrow path was even more
(22:04):
narrow as they had blockades up to keep.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
People away from the construction. But anyway up Trinity Hill
we go.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
And I took that down to a walk one hundred percent,
because that's what I was gonna do going up that hill.
And when you get to the top, Eternity Hill is
where you get the best view of downtown, at least
it used to be. Now this apartment complex is like
taking away half the view because it's so big and
so tall, and it's now stretching back so far. When
(22:30):
you get to the top Attornity Hill. You can see
the World War One Memorial, and you can see the
top of Union Station, and you can see the Coffin
Center of Performing Arts. But once you get kind of
here mid into the right, all you see is the
ass end of that new apartment complex. I know that
these are all the rage, and I know they bring
in bookoo bucks for the people that own them. But
all these apartment complexes, especially like here in the Shawnee
(22:53):
or in Overland Park where I live, they have like
killed some of the ambiance of Kansas City. And you
can disagree with me if you, and that's super great,
and that's fine. I welcome your disagreement. But when you
look at like Old Mission where it used to be,
there was not a building over one story tall, and
it was old school and it was old style, and
now you get that five story apartment building that towers
above everything else. I think they looked terrible. I think
(23:18):
they looked terrible. And it's super great that they have
granite countertops and they charge you nineteen hundred dollars a month,
but I think they're garbage and I don't.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Like them anyway.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I'm gonna get off my soapbox now and I'll get
back to the race review.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Sorry any who.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
All right after that, though, after you get up Trinity Hill,
even if your view is now a little diminished, you
get the really long, long, long downhill towards mile marker
four and then five. As you head all the way
down the hill, pass World War One all the way
down to the Union Station, take a ride on or
a left on Pershing, go to the next rope, and
(23:52):
then you kind of go up the hill and anyway.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
You get a real long downhill. So I lost where
I was on that, and because I know what's coming next.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Once you get to about mile marker five, that's where
you have the uphill going to the Kaffin Center for
the Performing Arts. That is the worst hill on the course.
I'm not a fan of it. Trinity Hill is much shorter.
This one is much longer, and even if you walk it,
by the time you get to the top you felt
like you have really gone up a three block long
hill to the Coffin Center. And then this year, okay,
(24:22):
so we take the right and we're going in front
of the Coffin Center and there's the beams and the
ropes that are you know the cables above us, and
you're right next to the Coffin Center and it's very
pretty and you get a good view of downtown and
oh look the sun is rising and it's already hunt
and we're already sweating to death. That's super great. Then
you get the downhill as you leave the Coffin Center.
Then you get the uphill as you're going around Kaufman Center. Now,
previously that downhill that you see is what you get
(24:45):
to go to next, as it takes you to downtown
Kansas City, Missouri. Not this year, because of construction coming
up later, we had to make up the miles. Now
instead they make another left turn and we go up
another hill to go almost completely around the Kaufman Center.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
So we go up a block left and which is
all uphill. Then we take a right, which is more uphill.
Now we get to go into downtown. But more hills were.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Added, and man, after that hill towards mile five, you
don't want more hills, and you get more hills, more
hills around the Kaufman Center. That was brutal, and that
really took it out of me. Not to mention, I
didn't know that was coming. So it was also a
little peeved about it. I definitely was miffed at that point.
I was miffed because I was having a bad race.
It started well, quickly went bad.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
More on that later.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
And then I didn't like these uphills around Coffin Center
because I was already dreading the first one. I was
already dreading the first hill Aroundkaffin Center, So why am
I gonna want more than I didn't know about?
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Now? It kind of took me off either.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Which way we go down the next hill, and then
I think we jog over to where we previously were,
you know, in other years, and then we get back
to the course as we know it.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
All right.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Great, when you're going through downtown Cansin, Missouri, a lot
of up, lot of down. You're rolling, rolling rolland no problem.
You get to the north side of Cansina, Missouri. You
take your right, rolling rolling roll and take another right.
I think you're again either on Grand or Broadway or something.
But that is kind of the turn where now you're
heading back. All right, So you were finally completed the
(26:12):
turn to take you back home. You're going down the
hard kan City, Missouri downtown. Great, nice little downhill there
you make a left, you go up the hill, you
see the sprints center. Then you get another great like
almost mile long downhill around mile eight. It is wonderful.
This though, as has been documented documented previously, my knee injury,
(26:34):
my issue with the knee, we'll talk about on a
different episode now that MRIs are back. That downhill at
mile eight that did my knee in, my patella, my patello,
which is doing no good. That's the fancy thing for
your kneecap. Fancy word for your kneecap. Once we got
to the bottom of that hill, it was now shifting
with every step, this loud click as I went.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Click click click, click click click.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Up and down every step after that long downhill and
I love downhills. Downhills helped me breathe. Downhill also not
good for knee.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Who to funk it.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
But when we get to the bomb that hill and
then we kind of straight out on the path that's
taking this down to eighteenth and Vine, I had to
walk a lot and I was sitting there kind of
banging on my knee like, dude, what is this?
Speaker 1 (27:18):
What is this? Up and down? I feel you floating
and moving with every step.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
That was not good, and really it kind of never
went away for the remainder of my race, which is
why my race wasn't so great. But we head down,
all right, Now we're heading to the one of the
points that I really like. This is where we get
to eighteenth and Vine. This is the Jazz district, all right.
This is the Jazz Museum, the Negro League Baseball Museum.
It's you know, where the jazz band is out playing.
(27:44):
It's a beautiful part of town. And we're heading there
and I see it and it's closed, and so we
just make a right turn and we go away from
eighteenth and Vine. Now what this is, this is what
is making up or what it was made up for
went up that hill at Kaufman Center. They were adding
the miles there because we lost them here at eighteenth
(28:05):
to Vine by not going down eighteenth and Vine and
then turning around and coming back eighteenth and Vine, going
by all the Jazz Museum in Eago League Baseball Museum.
We were going by all that, but the whole road
was just torn to shit.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
It was gone.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
I guess they're repaving, redoing, resurfacing, expanding the sidewalks even
maybe I don't know, but it was gone, and so
we didn't get to do that part. That's where the
extra hills came from. And now we just make a
right turn heading towards mile nine and completely away from
the jazz district. That was disheartening, and again another one
I didn't know was coming. Boom didn't like that at all.
(28:41):
At this point, we're at mile nine, four miles left.
The heat is an issue. It was hot. Like I said,
the cold front that was on our way got here
twenty four hours too late.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
The real field was in the eighties. The sun was
beating down.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
It was a muggy, muggy morning because it had rained overnight.
We finally got some rain, but it was overnight and
it increased the humidity greatly during this race.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
So mile nine, mile ten, mile eleven.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
I am having a horrid race. My knee hurts, it's
clicking every time I walk. It's hot, it's humid. Bad bad,
bad performance either rich way, what do we do? Though?
Speaker 1 (29:16):
We get it done.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
The two fifty pacers passed me with like two miles left,
and I was pretty pissed about that. Pardon my French.
I didn't like that they passed me. I think they
were fast, and they were figured that out after the
fact because they finished way in front of me. The
two fifty pacer who ticked me off made me angry
because I knew I wasn't there.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
I finished it two fifty fifteen.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Well, they were passed me by about five minutes, not
fifteen seconds, but.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Either hich way.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I came across another runner with about a mile left,
maybe a mile and a half, and I didn't catch
a gentleman's name, tall gentleman. He was wearing a black
and blue shirt. He was struggling, he was riding. That
struggle was hard. But hey, my man, you did great
and you finished that race because I saw you to
finish line and we fist bumped afterwards, and again I'm
sorry I didn't catch your name, but you did a
fantastic job. We kind of walked up the last nasty
(30:04):
hill together as we were just kind of sharing in
our misery, and then I was able to take off
a little better down the next downhill. He had some
blister issues, but good, good job out of you, my man.
But we finished the race again, two fifty to fifteen.
Not where I want to be. I am not where
I want to be. Right now, just training wise, fitness wise,
I got a lot of work to do with the
Tokyo Marathon coming up. Yeah, like for sure, man. So
(30:27):
I finished the race, didn't feel great. Once I kind
of sat down for a while, the knee issue kind
of took care of itself. The patella, I guess, fell
back into place where it was supposed to be, which
was great.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Glad that happened.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
So I was able to walk around the rest of
the day, you know, around the festival, no problem. I
got my free adult beverage, I got my free sandwich.
I sat down in the festival area. I was joined
by a lot of the running fan as everyone just
kind of met at the table.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
We shot the.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Breeze, we had our food, we had our beverages, and
then slowly people started to bid at you.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Now I could not leave.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Why because we, as both the Back of the Pack
podcast and the Chasing Rabbits run club, were committed to
staying for the six hour celebration. This is what I
told you about a week or so ago, where they
had asked the run clubs around town please stick around
for the last hour of the race. Let's keep the
energy up, Let's keep the noise going. Let's support all
the runners coming in during the last hour of the race,
(31:21):
And yeah, you asked me to do that, I'm one
hundred percent in and so I was happy to do so.
So what I did was I left and I ran
down to my car on the plaza and I got
our pirate turtle flag that we used for the Chasing
Rabbits Run Club. I put on my Chasing Rabbits Run
Club hat and brought that, and then I got a
big old cow bell that had both the back of
the Pack podcast sticker and the Chasing Rabbits Run Club
(31:43):
sticker on it. And then I walked all the way
back to the finish line so that I could be
there to loudly support all the runners coming in. And
I'm glad that I did so. Right at the five
hour mark, Bethany, you came in. I don't know if
you heard me screaming at you, but congratulations on your
full way to crush at young lady.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
That was awesome.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I was like trying to walk up to the fence
and then I saw you like flying down the finishing shoot.
So I was ringing my bell and yelling as quick
as I could. But you kind of snuck up on
me there, but then hung around. We stayed for five
point fifteen, the five fifteen pacers came through, five and
a half, five forty five, the six hours, and we're
still there now after the six hours. Again, technically the
(32:23):
race was done credit to the garment Kensiti Marathon though
they keep it open. They kept everything plugged in and
they were gonna let people finish that race, and that
is awesome. Now, once we got past one o'clock in
the afternoon, they had to open roads back up, which
means the runners had to obey pardon me, my NOSI
runners had to start obeying traffic laws, which slowed a
(32:44):
lot of them down. But there were still a lot
of people coming in even after that six hour mark.
So I stayed until I think damn near everyone got in.
I might have missed one at the end. I want
to give credit to the members of Run eight one
six that stayed in, stayed a very long time, and
made a big old hoopla about it. So Run eight
(33:04):
one six, your people did really well. The Casey Smart Pacers.
You had three folks stay behind to help support people
and get him in. You all did a great job.
Good job out of you. Andrew, the Casey Cosplay runner,
he stayed with me as kind of a rep of
the Back in the Back podcast and the Chasing Rabbits
Run Club and the Casey Cosplay runner.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
He stayed with me and he did it.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
So run eight one six, Casey Smart Pacers, Chasing Rabbits
Run Club.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
We were there all right.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
So if anyone from Garment kan City Marathon is listening
to this, if you made it this far, we three
were there to make sure everyone got in, So getting
credit where credit is due.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Those people all did a.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Great job, and I think we got everyone down down
the finishing pipe as best we could. I finally had
to tear out of there after two o'clock in the
afternoon at what had been a long day, and I
wanted to get back to my car and I wanted
to get out of there.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Now.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
No political statements being made, becaus we do not do
that on this podcast. I am speaking simply for me
and my personal convenience when I say that I had
no clue there was going to.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Be a political rally held.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
On the same day as the Garment Can't City Marathon
and held two blocks away, and I had to walk
through all of it to try and get back to
my car to get the hell out of there, thankfully,
and I had to fight my way through as basically
walking down the middle of the street because no one
was able to move, like traffic was stopped because of
all the people down there, and they were all just
(34:33):
kind of meandering wherever they felt like going.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
So I was walking down the middle of the road.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Because of the sidewalks were covered with folks. And I
finally made it to my car. But roads are being
closed because apparently there was a march that was being planned.
It wasn't just a gathering at the park. They wanted
to march as well, so roads are being closed. So
it took me four ever in a day to get
off the plaza and get back home, but I did
finally make it. Thankfully, I survived that day. It was
(34:58):
a hot one, a lot of fun though, Like I
had a great time again, credit to the group's has stayed,
Credit to Dave and everyone at the Casey Sports Commission
and the Garment Kansas City Marathon.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
It was a wonderful event.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Again, this is kind of our signature Kansas City event,
so I was glad to be a part of it.
Glad that we were at the expo, and glad that
we could just have some fun while we were there,
helping everyone finish fun while we ran the race. Credits
all the pacers out there who did a great job,
all the runners who completed a run in less than
ideal conditions. You guys all did great. Although I think
(35:30):
it was just it was. It was a damn good
day for the running community of Kansas City. So that's
where we're gonna leave it. Kansas City running community, be proud.
You showed up, you showed out, you did well, and
I am proud of us. I am proud of us.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
So that is gonna do it.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
For this week's episode of the Back of the Pack podcast,
I am your host, Kyle Walker. If you are new here,
thank you very much for tuning in. Hopefully you guys
like the new backgrounds and whatnot. That's what we got.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
So next weekend we're gonna be at the Monster Dash
five k's.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
We're gonna Kyle Die dial things back a little bit
after this week's Crazy half marathon, and then we're gonna
be zooming on in October. If you can believe that
October or I'm not October November. Jeez, weave zooming into
November which is almost here, and uh yeah, then it's
almost time for Good Life have Sing.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
So it's getting close.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
So like I said, that's gonna do it. But this
week's episode Back to Back Podcast, I'm Rrol Skywalker, my pleasure.
As always, everyone, have a safe week of training. We
will see you next week
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