Terrapin Mountain 50k March 23, 2013 Bedford County, Virginia

This race is described as having about 7500 feet of elevation gain and loss which is significantly more than any course I have run.  I added several training runs up and down long steep trails and roads.  But my only local choices for training had about half the elevation change over the typical 3 to 4 mile climbs and descents in this race.

The race started just at daylight and I positioned myself about midpack among the participants of the 50k and half marathon races.  After about a mile and a half on paved roads the course followed what was either a washed out forest service type road or a streambed that had been filled in to be passable for 4wd vehicles.  Then it crossed a stream and followed what might be jeep trails up to the first aid station at 4.1 miles having gained about 2000 feet.  I did what most people around me were doing - walking the steeper uphills and running the rest.  I was watching other runners thinking who might be a likely person to work with for the long day ahead.  I also listended to the chatter among friends.  Someone was joking that if we had real friends they would have talked us out of doing this race.  Hmm… Later in this section I chatted with a lady who had done the race several times and she wisely spoke of pacing myself for a long effort.  Her thought was that I was presently on pace for about a 7 hour finish.  I thought that was reasonable so I kept going at that effort level.

 

Hiking to the aid station number 1

At the first aid station I was only hoping to refill my water bottle, but that took longer than I expected.  Only one volunteer with a water jug was serving numerous runners and that jug became empty before my turn for a refill.  Another the volunteer came over and was able to refill it from a big thermos type jug with a little water spout.  Finally I was ready to go and made the turn downhill while the half marathoners continued uphill.  I knew there were about 5 miles of downhill running ahead of me on roads and tried to keep my pace in check to not hurt my quads so early in the race.  My fueling/nutrition plan was to eat a gel every 30 minutes and refill my water bottle and take whatever my appetite wanted at the aid stations.  There was soon a section of the dirt road that was white with ice/snow.  As I approached this area a runner went down hard on her back and I was all the more careful. There were some nice sweeping overlooks to enjoy while carefully watching the footing.  The next aid station was about 3 miles down the road and as I approached, a little girl was standing in the back of a pickup truck anouncing ‘first aid station ahead!’  I think she was talking about first aid rather than aid station number one and that made me smile   I got my water refilled and this time took a few chips/cookies and continued on downhill.  The downhill road continued but not so steeply and eventually came onto paved roads.  The course also transitioned from the look of remote forest to edge of the forest developments.

Toward the bottom of the downhill I passed a Phillipina lady who resembled Anna in my small group of local running friends.  Shortly after the next aid station this lady passed me back as the road turned uphill.  My mission for the day became to keep her from going out of sight.  She was really strong on the uphills, whether powerhiking or running.  We moved past a group of men who laughingly declared this road was a ‘mandatory walking’ section.  She and I both alternated running with hiking to keep progress somewhat brisk.  My approach to this was to run at least 100 steps each time then walk until my breathing recovered.  After maybe 2 miles the course left the road for double track trail that was even steeper.  As this section leveled off and then descended, I passed this lady.  And so it went most of the race, me going ahead on downhills and she passing on uphills.  We exchanged greetings and encouragement each time.  The course came out onto gravel road again and the next aid station was set up there.  Then it was uphill on roads for 3.1 miles that seemed longer than that.   There was a nice mountain stream, a stretch of road with snow and ice and some views into the valley below.  The next aid station is also the first one on the course, but this seemed to approach from a different direction compared to the first time. 

 

The lady who I would try to keep up with.

Typical uphill road section.

By this point my right foot was hurting on top and I wondered how a stress fracture would feel there.  This soreness remained for the rest of the race but didn't get significantly wors.  After the race, I concluded I had laced my shoe too tightly and that caused the soreness.

This next section would be 5.7 miles, a lollipop type out and back.  It went out on gravel road, moved onto double track trail around a loop and then back the same road.  So to start we saw runners coming back to the aid station while we were on the way out.  And it was again uphill.  I had taped a list to my water bottle with the distance to each aid station.  However I was mixed up here and thought this was the 3.1 mile section we had just finished.  After a long time without seeing any runners coming the other way, I was more confused.  I had figured when I would see the Phillipina runner coming back, I would know I was near the turn around.  Eventually I looked again at the list of aid stations and distances and realized which section of the course I was on.  At the highest point on the loop part of the lollipop was an orienteering punch which we were to use on our bib to prove we reached that spot.  And then it would be downhill running to the aid station. 

A couple of guys were sitting along the trail in a sunny, grassy spot.  They were dressed for running but had stopped for some reason.  They said there was nothing wrong.  Along the road back to the aid station, a young lady named Bethany caught up to me and we ran together chatting about how things were going.  She was concerned about her fingers swelling; my challenge was that my climbing muscles were about used up.  In spite of these issues we had a nice cheery mile or so.  As we came to the aid station I realized I was overdue on eating a gel. 

From this point there should be 9 miles to the finish.  We left the aid station at the same time and continued chatting as we went on.  This section started with the toughest climb of the race on a steep single track trail to the summit of Terrapin Mountain.  Bethany power hiked ahead of me and I huffed and puffed to keep close enough to continue the conversation.  After about 20 minutes of tough uphill hiking we reached the top and made the turn toward Terrapin Rock.  There was another punch here and quite a view of the valley below.  Bethany enjoyed the view longer than me and I went on alone.

  

Terrapin Rock

The course turned back for about 100 yards then continued on to a rock formation known as Fat Man's Misery.  Here we had to drop down 3 or 4 feet into a narrow passage between two sloping rock faces and then creep along for about 20 feet to the exit.  One more bib punch was required to show we had been through there.  



Entering Fat Man's Misery, hoping the rocks don't shift



Looking back into FMM



Then the course continued as single track trail along the ridge and eventually downhill through rhododendron thickets.  Some of this was quite steep and rocky, steep enough to grab trees to help slow the descent.   I passed 4 or 5 runners on the downhill and came out onto a service road that led to the final aid station.  My aid station list indicated five and a half miles to go.  I had about an hour and 15 minutes to finish in less than 7 hours.  It seemed like I had a good chance for that since I thought it would be mainly downhill from there.

           

At this aid station I saw the Phillipina lady again.  She was talking about her quads cramping and was rubbing on some menthol smelling stuff.  I refilled my bottle, grabbed some cookies and chips and hiked uphill with her to the next turn.  I must have been taking the downhill too fast because my quads began cramping here too.  And so I stopped in order to get out some Bio-Freeze gel and rubbing that in.  Soon the lady was out ahead of me and then out was of sight until after I finished.  I was wrong about it being all downhill, as the trail worked its way up in rolling fashion for 2 or 3 miles before turning downhill. I mostly walked the uphills.  There were about 3 more stream crossings in this section. 



Final stream crossing

Near the higher part of this section I could see into the valley and make out Sedalia Center where the finish line was.  I guessed it might be 2 miles in a straight line, but the trail was turning away and following the hillside, so I couldn't really guess what distance remained ahead of me.  The last stream crossing was a bigger one and it seemed I should soon be out on the road we started on.  Happily that was true, but what was not so nice was the steeper downhill that aggravated my sore quads.  I felt sure the distance to the finish was less than 2 miles from here, but I decided to wait for the 'one mile to go' sign before making up my mind.  Finally I saw the sign and my watch showed 6:41:19.  I was sure that was enough time to finish under the 7 hour mark and I now could finally stop saving my energy for whatever unknowns lay ahead.  I saw two runners ahead of me and one more in front of them but didn't know if I could catch anyone.  I was able to push my pace some and gradually passed the 2 running together in the last few hundred yards.  This last mile was at about 8:30 pace.

My finish time was 6:49:53.  My finish position was 162 of 269 finishers, with 3 DNFs.  There had been 291 registered.

Holiday Lake 50k 2013

My prior experiences at Holiday Lake 50K were fun trips with friends from my local training group.  In those years I was training for a spring marathon and this race was more for fun. This year I travelled alone and didn't know anyone personally who was there.  Somehow this time seemed more serious for me as a race.  I did meet Kathryn who posts in a forum I follow at RunningAhead.com so that was a friendly aspect for me.  I also had a support / encouragement package with notes and fun things from my 2 most frequent training partners to remind me they were thinking of me.

I felt some pressure to 'live up to' my bib number 92.  Last year to be in the top 100 men meant a finish time of 5:20 or better.  My previous best here was 5:58.  I moved forward in the start to avoid some of the bottle neck a half mile from the start when going from the road to the trail.  And I ran all the way up the hill to the trail rather than walking some as in prior years.  This meant that I started too fast, and I mainly stayed at the common pace around me to the stream crossing at around 7 miles.  I had been evaluating the fast start and decided I would walk more of the uphills and ease my pace some.

My watch gave me trouble from the start too.  About 20-some minutes into the race someone's watch beeped for what I supposed was mile 2 and I checked my watch to see how quickly we reached that point.  I saw zeros.  No problem I thought - start time was 6:30, I could use time of day.  My watch apparently reset and was showing Monday 12 am.  Oh well, I would run by feel.  I started the chrono anyway.  Approaching the second aid station I got the time from another runner and used that to figure how much time to add to what my watch showed.  We had gotten to the 8 mile mark in 1:16, about 15 minutes faster than I had done before.  (Eventually at the turnaround I confirmed the difference on the race clock - 27 minutes.)

The too fast start was already wearing on me in the second half of this loop and I tried to think about taking care of nutrition and just run comfortably. I carried a homemade honey energy gel and I ate cookies, chips, PBJs from aid stations.  It seemed I was taking too much time at the aid stations, but made sure I got what thought I needed.  After aid station three I began thinking of when I would see the race leaders coming back on lap two.  Eventually the leader appeared and the pack following him was several minutes behind.  Near the end of the first lap I was feeling pushed by runners behind me, but they never took opportunity to pass.  I think I speeded up even though I tried not to do that.

My legs were tired and my right foot and ankle were aching - a PF flareup like I have had the last number of weeks.  Shinsplints were coming on.  I planned to take some tylenol from my drop bag.  I would also refill my bottle with my own sport drink and change from a fleece hat to a ball cap style hat.  Again a slow in and out at the aid station and I forgot my tylenol.  I walked out, eating the things I picked up.  The race clock was at 2:43.   After a bit I was running and thinking about how well the second half could go since I was already tired and sore. 

I had chosen a Bible verse for my 'mantra' for the race and returned to that.  "Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous; do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  While I continued with this on my mind, my mood did not brighten.  I had a long mostly dark period from about mile 17-30, gradually fading.  I mostly had my eyes on the ground, seldom greeting other runners or giving or returning encouragement to anyone.  I did pass a few people who were fading worse than me.  In spite of the down mood, all my moving parts were working, so I continued if only so that it could get over with.  I then remembered that at the beginning of the day I had offered the day to the Lord, so I recommitted to use what I still had in me and finish the race.  I also remembered what Dr Horton says about things not always getting worse.

So I was running the flats and downhills, hiking the uphills.  I had surrendered any idea of a PR or finishing ahead of my bib number.  I also considered pulling out of the other LUS races I had already signed up for.  All but a few of the runners I saw were passing me.  Sometimes I would count my steps walking no more than 100 at a time.

For part of the section leading to the halfway aid station on this lap I was running beside/with a lady who has a long list of ultra finishes and we chatted some about races we had done.  Eventually she stopped for a potty break and I was alone again.  (She would pass me back and finish ahead of me.)  But chatting had taken my mind off my troubles for a while.  As I approached the aid station I tried to do the math for how long the last 8 miles might take.  It was about 4 hours into the race.  I made some errors there and somehow thought I had gotten that far in 2 hours on the first lap.  And since I was moving slower, even a 6 hour finish would be impossible.  I asked about tylenol at the aid station, but they had nothing like that.  My stomach was feeling bloated and 'off', meaning I didn't feel like eating.  All I took there was get a water refill.

Soon I was at the stream crossing and took my time going through, hoping the cold water would help my sore ankle.  In the prior year I had thought the next section was easier running, but it didn't seem so this time.  After a while I rechecked my math and realized I had gotten it wrong, deciding to recalc with 4 miles to go at the upcoming aid station.  As I approached the final aid station, I took that last of my homemade energy gel.  I looked for and drank some ginger ale at the aid station, hoping it would help my stomach.  I asked for tylenol, they had ibuprofin and I reluctantly took 2 of those. Soon after leaving the aid station I took a powerbar gel.

And things began to improve.  I was able to run easier and was willing to even run most of the uphills.  Maybe I had finally caught up on calories, maybe it was the good news of only 4 miles remaining.  Or God with me was pushing away the discouragement.  Or ginger ale or ibuprofin...  I caught and  passed a runner, then another.  With about 2 miles to go I was recovered.  Still more runners appeared ahead of me and soon were behind me.  And then the 1 mile to go mark.  According to my watch and calculations I had 20 minutes to cover the last mile, including the downhill half mile on the road.  I felt like a chance to PR had been given back to me.

And then I came out onto the road and gradually picked up the pace.  My shoes made a lot of noise on the road.  My feet seemed to be slapping the pavement due to my shin splits.  I passed probably 5 more runners before the finish line, nearly sprinting at the end.  No one seemed to mind or resist being passed.  The clock ticked to 5:49:59 as I crossed the line and was greeted by Dr Horton.

Lessons:
Starting too fast is bad and if it feels too fast in the first fourth of a race, slow down.
Thinking about keeping up with nutrition should be accompanied by doing it.  I didn't take enough calories.
Running well is largely mental.  Even when not feeling good I should act like it - smile, encourage others, etc.  Find things to be glad for even when it is tougher than expected.
Be patient with pacing, with how things are going.  It doesn't always keep getting worse.

Snow Angels

It seems most of my training runs lately are by myself, so I need to find a way to make it interesting and fun.  Winter weather sometimes means snow and nothing seems more fun than playing in the snow.  So while I like the bragging rights to say that I ran in the snow, making snow angels is more fun.

On two of my recent morning runs - under the cover of darkness I have gone to friends' homes and made snow angels in new snow.

random internet snow angel

The first time, almost 2 weeks ago I made a snow angel visit to a family from church and then followed up with one at our church.  Just as I got into position in the friends' driveway, the garage door across the street started to open!  I made my mark quickly and headed down the street before anyone was visible in the garage.  Soon after that a vehicle came down the street behind me and I had to wonder how much snow was visible on me from behind.  That morning was fun for me and talking about it later with them it seemed they liked the surprise of finding a snow angel in their driveway.

Yesterday morning's new snow provided another opportunity and I had a bigger plan.  I had about 90 minutes available for running and planned to tag the driveways of as many runner friends as possible.  I made a trial angel in our own driveway (and swept out a heart shape on our deck for my own angel) before heading off on my angel run.  Denise's house showed lights on when I got to her driveway and went to work.  I even tried to make a halo on her angel.  Then I mostly retraced the half mile between our houses and went to visit Troy and Jennine.  Lights were on there too and while I was flapping my wings on the ground a car pulled out from across the street and the headlights swept across me as I got up and resumed running.

It was about two miles to Amy and Mike's house which was dark as I tried for a good angel mark with a halo.  I turn my headlamp off as I approach the target home and then back on once I am running again.  From there I tried to picture the map so I could take the shortest route to Ralph and Heidi's house, maybe 2 or 3 miles away.  I decided on a route that went past a house where Rose and I lived for about 20 years and then up a street that is sometimes our 'hill workout' street.  This street is also where some church friends live, so I ran to their house first.  The snow in front was already cleared and I saw the kitchen light on as I went through the alley toward their garage.  I picked a place there that was not cleared and made an angel where both Bob and Marjorie should see it. 

A few minutes later I was approaching Ralph and Heidi's home and passed someone outside clearing off a vehicle in the prior block.  Lights were on as I marked the driveway behind Heidi's van and as I tried to sneak away it seemed there was movement inside the front door.  That was the end of my snow angel plan.  I would follow the rails-to-trails path through downtown and go by the YMCA on my way home.



Heidi posted this pic

As I approached the railtrail next to the creek I saw 2 people approaching so I rounded off my approach to give them more room.  This was a little past 6:30 am and only halfway light outside.  As I reached the path one of the men called out and asked if I had a cell phone.  He was smaller than me but the other man was bigger with a long dark coat.  Both looked to be dressed to be outside in the weather.  My first impression was they might be homeless and I was on guard against possible trouble.  I stopped about 20 feet away to ask what they needed.  "My truck won't start, I need to call someone to pick me up for a doctor appointment".  I kept my distance and said I would call for him.  I remembered a recent talk about personal safety and awareness so I looked around behind me in case of someone approaching, but the parking lot was empty.  It turns out I misunderstood the phone number and reached the wrong person on the first call.  I got the number right on the second try and the person I spoke to agreed to the request to pick up the man whose truck wouldn't start.  The man with vehicle trouble thanked me, We exchanged names and I headed on my way.

The remaining ten minutes or so until I got home went quickly as I reviewed my pre-dawn adventure and thought about what my workday would hold.

All that remained of our snow angel at noon - after being run over twice.

ChuckRuns Race Plans for 2013

After a mostly off or cutback year in  2012, I have other hopes for 2013.

I want this to be my "Ultra" year and I hope to try for a marathon and 5k PR too.

To start the year I am aiming for three 50k trail races in three months:

• Holiday Lake 50k++ in Appomattox Virginia on February 9th
• Terapin Mountain 50k in Sedalia Virgina on March 23rd
• Promise Land 50k in Bedford Virginia on April 27th

These are 3 of the 4 races in the Lynchburg Ultra Series (LUS).  The fourth is in November.  I have done Holiday Lake each of the last three years and enjoy it as a "beginner level" ultra.  The next 2 are more challenging, having more than three times the climbing and descent of Holiday Lake.

My thinking is that these three races should prepare me to tackle a do-it-yourself ultra with a family history connection.  I am aiming to do this in May or June. 

In 1737 my ancestor Edward Marshall covered about 65 miles in a day and a half over wagon roads, Indian paths and unbroken forest ground. He was the "winner" of the Walking Purchase "walk" which set the boundaries for a land purchase in what is now eastern Pennsylvania.  More info here.  I plan to follow a route that roughly retraces the course of his effort by following roads and hitting the main points of that walk/run for a total of nearly 70 miles.

If I can stay mostly injury free, in the middle of the year I will try to improve my best time at the 5k distance.

During the fall I will be preparing for the fourth LUS race - Mountain Masochist Trail Run on November 2nd near Monroe Virginia.  This is a 50 mile trail race with even more elevation change than the other races in the series.  The preparation will likely include some other races/events; maybe the Susquehanna SuperHike September 7th in York and Lancaster Counties or maybe the Dam Half or Full Marathon near Lewisburg PA September 22nd and a marathon PR attempt possibly at the Wineglass Marathon in Corning New York on October 3th.

My son Matt is aiming to do some trail races, so my year will hopefully also include some races that he picks.

And then I may consider acting my age.  ;o)

Running by the light of the silvery moon.

The following paragraph was a facebook post of mine this week.  But it was only part of the story so I thought I’d continue it in a blog post.

This morning before daylight I ran 'by the light of the silvery moon' and tried to remember the words to that song. There was sometimes a little haze around the moon and there were bright stars and some planets visible. It was cold and I counted about a dozen pieces of clothing I was wearing for warmth. I ran along an old railroad bed and past some horse stables. One horse was covered with a bright orange blanket - the same color as my shirt. It was dark but I wore a headlamp and ran on a nature trail through the woods along a stream and up a hill overlooking town. And I ran back down the trail and then along famliar streets toward home. I thought about family members and friends and my relationship with God. I felt healthy and strong and sometimes I ran faster. It was almost full light when I finished more than an hour after starting. It was a nice way to start my day.

In the first mile of my run near the end of a street another runner ran past on the cross street just ahead of me.  I wondered who he was, as if I should know everyone who would be running at that time.  I guessed I would catch up soon, but he was faster and pulled away.  At the end of that block, he stopped to walk and so I  guessed he was a new runner and had been running too fast.  But my route took me the other way.  Maybe he was just finishing his run.

Soon I ran under a bridge where a railroad line passes overhead.  I heard a different kind of sound from behind me – it seemed sort of like a jet plane kind of sound.  It wasn’t alarming just unusual.

A small pickup had come through the underpass and the curved shape of the bridge funneled the noise ahead of it. 

As I ran by the stables at the women’s college I waved to the driver of the security vehicle coming by in the other direction.  I see this vehicle on about half of my early runs through campus and wondered if the driver remembers seeing me.

On my way toward the nature trail I thought about how it is a secluded place where someone could be ambushed.  The next thought was what if I discover someone who has been killed there.  Would I be tempted to just look in a voyeur kind of way.  I had a cellphone with me and could call 911.  Do you call 911 if the person is clearly dead?  I prayed that God would keep me faithful in whatever situation I encounter anytime.  There were no such discoveries on the trail.

As I followed the path uphill a small bird flew out from just in front of my feet.  I wondered how well birds see in the dark and what kind of landing it would find.  The frosty leaves were a little slippery and I hoped I wouldn’t fall.  Near the top of the hill I could see the lights of a house that is normally hidden by the leaf cover.  On the return trip I saw more lights of other properties and wondered if they would be close to our church which seems like it could be in that direction.

I chose some less busy streets for the first part of the way toward home.  It just meant going a block out of the way.  Some of this route was slightly uphill and my running quickened in a pleasing way.  In a half mile I came to some more uphill, steeper this time, and it was nice running too.  Near the top I had to wait for some traffic then I could cross the street about 2 miles from home.  The next section is where the silvery moon thoughts came.  I tried to remember the tune but could only get part of a line.  It seems Dad would sing this when we were going somewhere in the car.  Later I googled the lyrics and discovered a much different song than I imagined.

In about a mile I was going through a newer development and passed a contractor kind of vehicle along the roadside – a garage door company I think.  In the next quarter mile this van came by twice apparently trying to find an address.

I remember seeing a car turning onto a street as I approached.  Since they turned toward me, I veered between parked cars and onto the sidewalk to avoid alarming the driver or getting pinched against the cars. It felt good to be aware and ready to react immediately to things like that.

I again took a slightly longer route toward home, this time so I could pass a house at the end of our block where we had seen extra cars, including a police car the previous evening.  Nothing interesting this time.  I turned off my headlamp as I turned the corner for home.

It was a nice way to start my day.

The next morning before daylight I ran again. The moon was covered by clouds. It was colder and I dressed about the same as before. I ran on the grass around a nearby school. I chose this run to strengthen my lower legs for trail races I want to do next year.  Each lap has a short and steep uphill section that challenges my commitment to run without walking.

Six laps, each about 3/4 mile. The heavy frost showed my footprints on each lap and I wondered if someone else would think several people ran there. Near the end of the first lap I saw a couple of silhouettes cross my path about 50 yards in front of me.  I wondered where they were going as they were heading toward the school building.  I couldn’t see where they went even with my headlamp.

One portion of these laps goes along some business properties.  On one lap a single car was parked at one of the businesses.  Later I noticed 3 cars, and eventually a fourth.  For some reason I think there is some kind of phone support at that place.

On a later lap I saw a rabbit, and on another lap a dog barked at me. I heard it’s chain on the sidewalk and wondered if it would try to cross the street.  It didn’t seem to try.  Part of the lap is along a highway and I run facing the same way the traffic flows.  I wonder how many drivers catch a glimpse of me and question whether they really saw someone running in the dark.

My legs and back felt sore and tight. My left leg was achey. The ground seemed to be freezing, getting harder and more lumpy during the run. I thought about yesterday's run and story. I gradually ran faster. I got home 5 minutes later than planned. Some runs are almost poetic, others are more work.

It was again a good way to start the day.

Mostly this is what my runs are like.  I don’t prefer to run alone.  I like to have company for the run.  But even when running alone and in the dark I don’t get bored.  There are lots of things to see, sometimes animals or people to observe, and always something going on in my head to think about.

Father and Son Run the Marine Corps Marathon

I registered for the Marine Corps Marathon at the request of my son Matt.  His idea was that we would run the race as something to do together.  It was an offer I couldn’t refuse, even though I had not planned to train for or run any races for most of the year.  Enough of us runners have our sanity questioned by family and friends, so when Matt wanted to do something with me like this, I was all in.  We did most of our training separately but did a few longer training runs of 15 to 18 miles together at a pace of about 10:30 per mile.  It seemed that a 4 and a half to 5 hour finish time was likely. 

The weather conditions included low to mid 50 degree temps and breezy.  The race day forecast looked like rain from hurricane Sandy would not start until after our race.  We wore shorts and short sleeved shirts.  Before start time it was breezy enough that we were getting chilly.  On the way to the start area we heard the national anthem and watched a fly-over by two V-22 Osprey aircraft.

Matt and I positioned ourselves in the start area somewhat behind the 4:30 pace group, in the back half of something like 25,000 runners.  The race announcer counted down to the start signal which was sounded by a howitzer blast.  And we waited for the crowd in front of us to start moving.  We started shuffling, then stopped, then walked and gradually worked up to a slow jog by the time we crossed the start line about 13 minutes after the start signal. And we were off - moving wherever and however the crowd permitted or forced us.  It was somewhat like being in a crowd of Christmas shoppers on the worst shopping day, or like being swept along by the crowd when leaving a big concert.

Our first couple miles through city streets were at 10:40 to low 11 minute pace.  Always someone was too close in front of and beside us.  We didn't really need to run faster but the desire for more space seemed to get us moving around and through the crowd to find some running room.  At least once this caused Matt to turn his ankle as we were passing on the curbside.  The first hill section ended about mile 3 and was followed by a downhill to flat stretch that was in a more park type setting with some woods along the road.  We ran onto the Francis Scott Key Bridge and toward Georgetown.  The water station here, like all others was staffed by Marines in uniform.

Over these first miles there were gloves, hats, shirts on the road that were dropped by runners who were warm enough without them.  After we crossed the Potomac River to the DC side, we ran along the C & O Canal National Park.  There were dozens of runners who stopped along here to pee in the bushes – eventually I was one of them.  The crowd was starting to spread out.  Then another uphill came along about mile 6 or 7.  This section of road was narrower and we were again more restricted / frustrated.  The course went through a residential neighborhood.  Our run plan was to keep to our familiar training pace and walk through the water stops, filling our water bottles and getting some sport drink to supplement our shot block nutrition - one block every 15 minutes.

By mile 9 or 10 our pace had picked up enough that our overall average pace dropped to about 10:30 per mile.  We had been keeping pace with a couple guys carrying flags, so it gave us a little motivation to keep them in sight.  We began discussing where our support team might be - right side of the road, or left.  Rose, Kim, Andrew, Lindsey, Kristal were to be along the course at about miles 10 and 16.  Eventually Matt spotted them and we moved to the right side to stop for a quick visit. There was nothing to resupply or exchange and soon we were running again.  (I did make a request for some coffee the next time we would see them.)  Matt is quite familiar with the sights around Washington so he pointed out where we were and what was coming up.  I would have been just following the crowd.  As we neared the halfway mark we both commented our feet were getting sore/tired.  This was also where we came alongside Missy, a Chambersburg running friend of mine.  We ran with her and chatted for several minutes.  Soon Matt and I took our first walk break separate from a water stop.  For the rest of the course we would walk for about a minute per mile.

 We continued on as had become routine.  Easy pace, look around at the sights/runners/spectators, eat a shot block on schedule, walk the water stops and refill bottles/drink sport drink, resume running as we joined up at the end of the water stop.  We came onto our crew as expected at what seemed to be the same area where they met me last year.  Rose had coffee for me and I drank about half of it.  Matt dropped off the belt pack he had used to carry his packs of shot blocks.  Then we moved on.  Matt told me they were planning to meet us again at the end of the loop on the DC side before we crossed the bridge toward Crystal City.  That gave us something pleasant to look forward to.

Before this next meet-up with our support crew, I needed to pee again (thanks to the coffee?).  We were watching for porta-potties for what seemed much too long.  Finally we came to a set of 6 or 8 potties and I got into line - maybe 10^th in line to wait my turn.  Matt would walk till I caught up.  My "pit stop" took about 3 minutes and then we were back together running and looking for our next crew meet-up.  We didn't need anything at this stop and ran by without stopping.  And on we went.  We were now beyond the longest distance Matt had ever run.  Our overall pace was slowing due to extra walk breaks and slower run pace.

Soon we were on "the bridge".  Mile 21+. This is a long stretch with few spectators.  More and more runners can be seen taking walk breaks or stopping to stretch sore or cramping muscles.  By this point I was pretty sure I could hear Matt's breathing and he confirmed it.  This was different from the previous miles.  It isn't unusual that keeping the same or even a slower pace takes more effort by this point in a marathon.  We were clearly into the place where feet and legs are hurting from the pounding and multi-hour effort.  We talked about how our finish time was looking.  Not much else to talk about and not much in the sight-seeing category.  Just keep going.  Coming off the bridge we entered Crystal City with lots of spectators making friendly noise and energy to keep us moving.  We discussed whether a 4:45 finish time was within reach and what pace increase it would take.

The remaining miles were slowly ticking by and we left Crystal City for the last couple miles.  With less than 2 miles remaining, Matt started to pick up the pace.  We passed more people than passed us.  Not much else changed.  We looked ahead for signs of the final turn to “charge” the hill with the finish lines in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial.  Uniformed Marines stood along the road up Iwo Hill and encouraged runners toward the finish.  Some runners exchanged high fives with them.  Matt’s quickened pace meant more weaving around other runners and I pushed to stay alongside him.  The final stretch up that hill is narrower and more crowded, making passing more challenging.  And we crossed the finish line at 4:51:07.

We got in line to receive finisher medals from young Marine officers who placed the medal around your neck, salute you, and shake your hand.  And they told me “God Bless you sir.”

  

Boston Marathon Memories

Boston Marathon 2012

Three other 'YRats' (running friends who met through our YMCA bootcamp and still meet at the Y for morning runs) were running the marathon and Nikki was volunteering, so we shared the weekend by travelling together with spouses and kids.  Rose and Matt came with me and Keith lives in the Boston area so he met us there.  Brenda brought Tom and daughters Trisha and Faith.  Jill's husband Mike came, and Kristal brought Danny and Lindsey.  Two vans, 4 hotel rooms, eating out together, plus other Boston and marathon activities.  Two special activities were the Marathon Expo and painting pottery at the Clayroom.  It was fun seeing all the people wearing Boston Marathon jackets.  We could all feel like we were on the same team.


Kristal, Jill, Chuck, Brenda in our Official Boston Jackets



On race day, Mike drove Nikki to her volunteer duty starting at 6 am.  Then he returned and joined others to take up a place on the course.  Nikki later was able to join Brenda and run with her almost to the finish.  Matt and Lindsey drove the runners (Brenda, Kristal, Jill, and me) to meet a shuttle bus at Hopkinton State Park.  We all rode the bus together into downtown Hopkinton and the runners walked up to the athletes village.  Matt and Lindsey walked over to watch the start before heading back to get to a place later on the course.

The athletes village was of course full of activity and about 20 thousand runners.  After posing for photos, We found a place under one of the big tents, chatted, rested, and began our preparations.  There were some trips to the porta potties and finally we dropped our bags and walked to the start.  Jill left first for wave 2 corral 3, then me wave 2 corral 7, and Brenda and Kristal a little later for wave 3.  Hugs and well wishes with each departure.

It was about a 10 minute walk to the start area and for me included stopping one more time to visit the porta potties.  I got to my corral about one minute before the start, but we didn't start moving for a couple more minutes.  I passed the start line 5 minutes after the start signal, already jogging near my goal pace.  Almost immediately most runners were running faster than me and I was wondering what they were thinking by going so fast.  Since the day was sunny, it was important to find shade when possible.  This meant mainly running toward the right side of the road.  We would be in the heat for a long time.

On the course there was very good race support with water and gatorade every mile beginning at the end of mile 2.  There was an equal or greater unofficial support effort by spectators all along the course.  People seemed to be in front of their homes, businesses, other places offering whatever they thought would help the runners overcome the challenges of the course and the high temperatures.  Water, ice, orange slices, bananas, candy, paper towels (sometimes wet with cold water) for wiping away the sweat.

Many places someone would be standing at the edge of the road holding a garden hose with water spraying onto the road.  Runners were able to run through the spray for help keeping cool. Probably more than 100 people were giving this kind of help over the marathon course.

The Boston Marathon spectators are great supporters of the runners.  They look at runners to find a way to cheer for them.  Runners wearing their name will be cheered for by name.  Otherwise they cheer for you by number or the color or words on your shirt.  "Go for it Denmark".  "Looking good red shirt".  "You can do this Rats".  I heard that one several times.  Even with my name on my race bib, some people noticed my YRats shirt and cheered for me accordingly.  Someone even urged me to run it for the hamster!

The crowd of spectators included many, many families like is common along a parade route.  It must have been some parade.  By the end there were so many desperate looking runners who were reduced to walking.  It would take hours for all  runners to pass some of the later places on the course, so these supporters really showed commitment by being there cheering and helping.  It was so touching to see children along the way standing with their hands out offering refreshment or waiting for a high-five from runners.  Sometimes these little ones would be 3 or 4 in a row and I could give a hand slap to them all in one waving motion. 

Around the 5 or 6 mile mark there was a tent and sign in front of a Dairy Queen that proclaimed a 'quit early' spot and offering free ice cream to anyone dropping out there.  I thought "no way am I stopping now".

Water stops were a series of tables first offering gatorade and then followed by another set of tables offering water.  The usual water table practice in races is to slow enough to take a cup from a volunteer and continue past the table before stopping if stopping is one's intention.  This time the practice devolved into a stop and shop kind of approach.  Most people around me and including me were walking into the table area and picking up one or more cups.  Often even standing until we had gotten what we needed.  Volunteers were mostly busy trying to fill the cups quickly enough; runners were in self serve mode.  And the ground was covered with empty cups.  Near the gatorade the road ws sticky, then by the water tables is was wet enough to rinse off the stickiness.

Many places provided musical support.  Some live, others recorded.  Styles included a blue grass/country band, rock music at the biker bar, a drum group.  I remember hearing the theme from the Rocky movies. 

And the college students.  Wellesley and the scream tunnel with the female students holding posters, offering/requesting kisses.  Boston College was really loud and boisterous, with students standing several people deep along the edge of the road.  Their version of support included handing out beer.

It seemed that further along the course the crowds were thicker and louder.  The final blocks were just an amazing place with thousands of people between the buildings of downtown Boston. The sound in this area seemed like something from a professional sporting event and it was uplifting that they were cheering for me.  I could feel like and Olympian or a rock star.

After the race we had a prearranged spot to meet.  The walk to that place seemed to take forever.  After finishing I trudged along through the finish area, receiving a finishers medal, drinks and food, a reflective heat sheet, and my checked bag.  There were photographers taking finisher photos and I posed for one of those.  Eventually at the meeting place I met up with Jill and Kristal, who finished before me, and with Matt and Lindsey who were there to meet us. 



Jill, Chuck, Kristal, Brenda



Soon I was lying on the ground resting and taking some food and drink for recovery.  It took a while but I eventually felt revived and went to change into dry clothes and shoes.  Brenda and Nikki arrived.  Then Rose, Keith, Mike, Danny.  We swapped some stories, posed for pictures, and began making our way to the subway to start back to the hotel. 

During the subway ride I started feeling too hot again and then weak.  I asked to sit down.  This was a scare none of us wanted.  It seemed our whole group switched into emergency services mode.  I was given things to drink and eat to get calories into my system.  Some were fanning me to help me cool down.  I even had help taking my long sleeve shirt off.  When we got to our station, they made me lay down on a  bench and did more things to cool me off.  A metro station worker came over and asked whether to call 911.  In a little while I felt better and walked out of the station to the waiting van.  I still am unclear whether this was a heat issue or a blood sugar problem.  I think I was always clear enough mentally though this, but maybe that was a hallucination!

Back to the hotel, showers, and out to dinner.  We encountered some other marathon runners and enjoyed the camaraderie of Boston Marathon finishers.  Wearing the jacket or shirt seems like membership in an exclusive club.  And it's just fun to be part of something special.

Bedtime about 11:30.  Then Keith called because of a health crisis with his cat Michaux.  Rose and I got up about 2 am and spent the rest of the night with him.