From Bar Harbor to Southwest Harbor, Maine www.runMDI.org
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| Race Start - men's winner at left in white singlet, women's 5 time winner at center with pink beanie |
Finish time 3:58:46 (9:07 average per mile)
Overall finish position 215th of 739 ; age group M60-64 4th of 20
Weather: sunny and breezy, 40 degrees at the 8 am start and about 50 at noon
I decided to register for this race so that I could visit Maine for the first time and see the outdoor beauty I had been hearing about. The trip turned into a family thing with my wife and I joined by our older son Keith and his girlfriend, as well as our younger son Matt and his wife and one year old little boy. We also visited my cousin Harv and spent a day or so with he and Dale.
My training for this race was a little abbreviated and less aggressive than my usual marathon training. The training cycle was a little shorter and followed about a year of lower than my usual weekly mileage and began after a month of no running at all. I focused on getting the miles in, doing more hilly runs; with 5 or 6 tempo runs and no speed work. My impression from the training was that a 4 hour finish was a reasonable goal, but was not a sure thing. The course is more hilly than a typical road marathon and includes significant hills even in the later miles.
I decided to register for this race so that I could visit Maine for the first time and see the outdoor beauty I had been hearing about. The trip turned into a family thing with my wife and I joined by our older son Keith and his girlfriend, as well as our younger son Matt and his wife and one year old little boy. We also visited my cousin Harv and spent a day or so with he and Dale.
My training for this race was a little abbreviated and less aggressive than my usual marathon training. The training cycle was a little shorter and followed about a year of lower than my usual weekly mileage and began after a month of no running at all. I focused on getting the miles in, doing more hilly runs; with 5 or 6 tempo runs and no speed work. My impression from the training was that a 4 hour finish was a reasonable goal, but was not a sure thing. The course is more hilly than a typical road marathon and includes significant hills even in the later miles.
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| Start with a smile for the camera! |
My family joined me for the race start and since there are less than 1000 runners we could stand together close to the start line. They moved ahead a little just before the start so they could see me pass after the starting gun went off.
I positioned myself among people I thought looked like they might aim for about the same finish time. The national anthem was played by a military trumpet player and I got choked up with emotion as usually happens for me.
I positioned myself among people I thought looked like they might aim for about the same finish time. The national anthem was played by a military trumpet player and I got choked up with emotion as usually happens for me.
The race has a tradition of playing Thunderstruck by AC/DC for the start, so that was cranking up as the announcer counted down to the gun (or cannon) start signal. I started my watch as I crossed the start line about 10 seconds after the signal.
The course begins with a slight downhill for about a half mile then begins the first significant climb - about 150 feet over a half mile. My pace was too fast from the start for my 4 hour goal, but the effort felt so easy. (That's what they all say!)
This wouldn't matter much for just the first mile or so, but I went too fast for the entire first half. Mile splits are listed below. Even with the rolling hills throughout the course, I averaged 20 some seconds per mile faster than my plan. I should have banked energy for the later miles, but I was banking time and that usually is paid back with interest toward the end. It turned out I should have started further back because a lot of people passed me through the first hour or so. They may have contributed to my pace problems (peer pressure).
The second major hill (as tall as the first but longer) came in the fifth mile and on the downhill side of that I stopped to relieve my bladder among some roadside trees. This resulted in my first mile that was not under 9 minutes.
Water and sport drink were provided about every two miles by enthusiastic and well coached volunteers. I passed the first few water stops as I was carrying a small throwaway bottle as well as a honey mix gel that I often use. As I approached the water table at about 8 miles, I took some of my gel and then walked through the water stop to grab 2 cups of water. From this point on I did my gel and water the same way at alternating water stops. When not taking a gel I normally took just water or sport drink as I walked through these support areas.
I noticed a few particular spectators who moved ahead numerous times on the course to cheer. They were in a pickup truck with kayaks on top. The lady in the driver's seat, the guy (bearded pioneer look with beret and kilt) was up there using the kayaks like a drum, keeping rhythm to the music playing from the truck. The runner(s) they were looking for must have been a little behind me but I never figured out who it was. I also noticed the "courtesy van" several times as it was available in case someone needed to drop from the race.
We came to two other MDI start lines along the course. In one town, it was for the kids race the day before and at halfway it was the half marathon start which started a little later than the marathon and followed the same route to the finish. I think we went through four or five little communities on the way to our finish in Southwest Harbor.
The scenery was quite beautiful and varied with forested areas, small communities and water or coastal views. Always with hills. It was rare to find even a short section that was not climbing or descending. At one place a boat was just off shore and sounding its horn. People on deck were cheering and banging on pans to encourage runners.
The course begins with a slight downhill for about a half mile then begins the first significant climb - about 150 feet over a half mile. My pace was too fast from the start for my 4 hour goal, but the effort felt so easy. (That's what they all say!)
This wouldn't matter much for just the first mile or so, but I went too fast for the entire first half. Mile splits are listed below. Even with the rolling hills throughout the course, I averaged 20 some seconds per mile faster than my plan. I should have banked energy for the later miles, but I was banking time and that usually is paid back with interest toward the end. It turned out I should have started further back because a lot of people passed me through the first hour or so. They may have contributed to my pace problems (peer pressure).
The second major hill (as tall as the first but longer) came in the fifth mile and on the downhill side of that I stopped to relieve my bladder among some roadside trees. This resulted in my first mile that was not under 9 minutes.
Water and sport drink were provided about every two miles by enthusiastic and well coached volunteers. I passed the first few water stops as I was carrying a small throwaway bottle as well as a honey mix gel that I often use. As I approached the water table at about 8 miles, I took some of my gel and then walked through the water stop to grab 2 cups of water. From this point on I did my gel and water the same way at alternating water stops. When not taking a gel I normally took just water or sport drink as I walked through these support areas.
I noticed a few particular spectators who moved ahead numerous times on the course to cheer. They were in a pickup truck with kayaks on top. The lady in the driver's seat, the guy (bearded pioneer look with beret and kilt) was up there using the kayaks like a drum, keeping rhythm to the music playing from the truck. The runner(s) they were looking for must have been a little behind me but I never figured out who it was. I also noticed the "courtesy van" several times as it was available in case someone needed to drop from the race.
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| After about 10 miles |
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| At 16 miles or so |
We came to two other MDI start lines along the course. In one town, it was for the kids race the day before and at halfway it was the half marathon start which started a little later than the marathon and followed the same route to the finish. I think we went through four or five little communities on the way to our finish in Southwest Harbor.
The scenery was quite beautiful and varied with forested areas, small communities and water or coastal views. Always with hills. It was rare to find even a short section that was not climbing or descending. At one place a boat was just off shore and sounding its horn. People on deck were cheering and banging on pans to encourage runners.
Somewhere a bit after halfway I saw a bald eagle soaring above the trees. The leaves were changing colors and many places were alive with reds and yellows.
Seeing them was nice, though it was maybe only a minute from when they came into my view until I passed by their spot. I told them I was ahead of plan and expected I would be walking some and slowing down.
My focus shifted to the hills from mile 20 to 25. I figured I could finish in under 4 hours if I could maintain at least a 9:30 pace average from there to the end. I would walk the steepest uphills and continue to check progress to safeguard the finish time I wanted.
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| Marathon route and elevation profile |
It was in these last hilly miles that I started passing some half marathoners, most of whom were walking. Near one water station there were people in fun costumes - a gorilla and a banana, and a ballerina in a very large inflated outfit.
I continued to watch my overall pace slow down and the buffer dwindle for my 4 hour goal. The top of the big climb came a little sooner than I expected and gave a mile of non stop running downhill. I was surprised to run my fastest pace of the race at this point and even doubted that my gps watch was giving me good numbers.
There were 2 more small uphills before the finish. I walked once more at the 26 mile marker when it seemed safe to give back a little time.
As I approached the finish line I saw my family again and waved. The race clock was confirming what my watch was showing, that I made my time goal for the race. I finished in 3:58:46 which is a little more than 5 minutes under the M65-69 qualifying time for the 2020 Boston Marathon.
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| Crossing the finish! |
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| Finish line and finisher medal |
8:38, 8:49, 8:39, 8:30, 8:39, 9:22, 9:07, 8:54, 9:11, 9:03, 8:54, 9:08, 8:52,
9:00, 9:00, 9:17, 9:04, 9:16, 9:04, 9:36, 9:36, 9:46, 9:22, 10:10, 9:20, 8:12, 2:18(822 pace)
1st half 1:57:17 (8:57 avg pace), 2nd half 2:01:39 (9:17 avg pace)
other pics
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| This tree has been the race image, but in the last year lost an upper branch that balanced its pic. |
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| Maine is lob-stah country! |
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