Top Ten reasons to do the JFK 50 miler:
10) Opportunity to interact with wild animals (this year it was a horse that bit me, which may or may not have been better then the tow path opossum chasing me in 2006)
9) Doing a two person 'wave' along the road in Williamsport
*Note: I later learned that as per Stephen Colbert this is illegal, but at that time I had thrown caution to the wind.
8) Running at high rates of speed on the road to Williamsport to keep up with my sister who apparently forgot I had run 38 miles before she joined me
7) Amusing motivational signs at mile 38:
Free Limousine service to Williamsport -courtesy of MCRRC- (Fri-Sun only)
If this was a marathon you'd be done
6) Burning 5000+ calories so at Thanksgiving dinner you can say, "Why don't you just pass me the whole pie, cake, etc? I can finish it, right?"
5) Seeing downtown Williamsport during daytime light for the first time ever
4) Making new running friends and seeing old running friends
3) More amusing signs along the course 2) Ability to find out who your real friends are when you say, "Hey, you want to be my JFK 50 miler crew?" After they agree of course mention "Oh by the way, I'm doing the early start so we have to be at the gym by 4:15 a.m."
1) JFK 50, at least the name is short
My Experience
This year was my third consecutive row at the JFK 50 miler. My first year I took almost 12:30 to complete the race, last year my time increased to 13:07 and this year my goals included any one of the following times: 13 hours, 12.5 hours and 13 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds. A sub-12 hour finish was not even thought about in my wildest dreams (and mine get pretty wacky'which I blame on all the ultra/marathon endorphins).
Low and behold by the end of this JFK 50 miler, my crew (my sister Cindy, her friend Imelda and my husband, Tristan) and my pacer (Cindy) pushed, pulled and taunted me into an 11:49 finish.
Pre-race
My weekend started with my pre-race ritual, including a brief trip to an Alpaca Farm near Hagerstown, Annapaca farms to stock up on Alpaca winter wear and say hello to the Alpaca's (sadly I am worse then the 3 little kittens in my ability to lose mittens, but even worse it seems that I always lose mittens from the same hand). We then headed to our hotel to check in and get ready for the race. This became a slight fiasco because the Days Inn we selected seemed to be having some major electric and plumbing irregularities. We reserved two rooms, one for my husband and me, and one room for Cindy and Imelda. Arriving first we had a choice of which bedroom to select. We randomly selected one of the rooms but quickly changed our minds when we realized the toilet would not stop filling. After calling the front desk we learned that the plumber would not be coming into fix it. An easy solution was to pawn this room on my sister. Apparently this decision earned me some bad room karma. We moved to the room that was initially supposed to be Cindy/Imelda's. First problem in our second room was that the alarm clock did not work. I got a replacement alarm clock and it did not work either. Things were not looking good. Then we found out that the TV did not work properly. The volume was either on and rock concert LOUD or muted completely. I never asked my sister how her room worked out but will never in the future risk the wrath of the angry room fairies by pawning a bad hotel room off on others.
After getting my stuff set up for the run, and arranging a wake up call at 3:00 a.m. it was time to pick up my friend from the Niagara Ultra, Richard Takata from a different hotel so we could all go to the Reston Runner's pre-race dinner. As usual dinner was a fun event. During dinner I learned that Richard in addition to being a Guinness Book of World record holder for completion of 7 marathons on 7 continents in shortest amount of time, I learned that do this Richard had run 7 marathons in 29 days all over the world. Wow!
Cindy and Imelda arrived at the Pizza Hut pretty late but in time to have some dinner. I gave them instructions for crewing me (just have my stuff/clothing at the crew points and make sure my water bottle is filled and I have a spare Marathon or Mojo Bar). After finishing dinner, it was time to head back to the hotel for a good nights sleep. Cindy and Imelda mentioned they would just go to a bar and stay up all night since we had to get up at 3 a.m. anyway; however, upon realizing that Hagerstown is a very small town (and as per my husband the Pizza Hut that we just left was the happening place in town), they elected to just head off to bed.
Race Day
I won't lie to you; 3 a.m. comes pretty early in the day. But because I knew I had lots of tasks to attend to, I got up with the first alarm that sounded. I had several alarms set as well as a wake up call (as usual) but so far I find it easier to get up then to deal with my numerous alarms. First order of business was to glide all over. Since this was my 6th marathon event since September, I had calluses, blisters and calluses with blisters on my feet which needed to be dealt with (one blister is so bad it is starting to look like one of my toes has a second toe growing out of it!). With my first layer on, I was presentable enough to walk down the hall of the hotel to my sister's room to wake her. She was awake and shocked that all I had on was a tank top and my lucky marathongirl skirt. I reassured her that I was not crazy and that any temperature below 65 degree's I deemed it necessary to wear multiple layers but I just needed to avoid causing a commotion in the hotel and avoid an indecent exposure charge (although if any year I decide at the last second I don't want to run the race, don't think I won't implement this strategy of getting sent to jail through a minor infraction to get out of running). Completing my wardrobe with a bunch more layers, downing a few cans of Diet Mountain Dew's (the beverage of champions), and a check to insure I had all my race equipment I was ready.
The trip to the race start was pretty uneventful for my peeps (Cindy, Imelda and I), but apparently a bit tougher for my auxiliary crew (Tristan). At the school gym we met up with some other Reston Runners and listened to the pre-race briefing. During the briefing, I had the realization that the race director, Mike Spinnler seemed to have a different time then I did (and apparently many others near me), which causes quite a stir. His watch was 2 minutes fast. I was pumped, excited and ready to start except a vital part of my family was missing: Tristan. This can be explained in one sentence. Tristan is directionally challenged (although just to give you a heads up, he will adamantly deny it if asked).
Right as the pre-race briefing finished, Tristan walked into the gym. We all started walking to the start line, me taking pictures along the way. First I snapped a picture of 4:52 a.m. lit up at the bank (way too early). Next the bank flashed 27 F (Brr... it's so cold). A final set of pictures by the Welcome JFK 50 Runners
sign and it was time for the race. Two minutes before 5 a.m. the starting gun goes off.
The first few minutes as in any ultra, there is joking about how crazy we are for signing up, showing up and actually doing the event. Then it gets serious and runners start blaming others for their predicament of running the event (sadly I am running this relatively alone, not due to a bet made at a bar, peer pressure or because any friend needs company). But I hook up briefly with several guys who ran last year and apparently played JFK 50 miler chicken and all signed up. Their names are Jack and Mike (and Todd) from Fayetteville, NC. I do not know this at the time, but two of them are going to entertain me the vast majority of the Appalachian Trail (AT). Jogging, walking and scampering up the road, we finally get to the top of the mountain and it is time for... a bathroom break (didn't expect that did you?). Since I am female and have regained my normal aversion to pottying along a trail (basically I have a very bashful bladder and must walk about a mile from any trail and then it takes me a long time to get inspired-I think if I did go along the trail, I would still be there). There are adequate porta-potties and I immediately find a stall. I am happy particularly since there is no wind (the day before the JFK 50 miler this year was very windy). To explain my fear of porta potties in wind I actually had an experience in March at the B&A trail marathon when I was in a porta-potty on a windy day. During a huge gust of wind the stall nearly fell over. I am not convinced I would finish a race after being in a porta-potty that fell over. And I definitely would not want to be known as the blue smurf who ran the race. Luckily I did not have to face this fear here.
On to the trail for a few hundred meters and soon enough we had our first intermission. We arrived at the fire road and our first aid station. At the aid station, I grabbed some pretzels and realized I was dehydrated. After spitting out most of my mouthful of pretzel (which was not going down), a swig of Gatorade helped the rest go down. A few steps out of the aid station, I realized my shoe was untied. This was not good. It was time to deal with it. But unfortunately, I had my dirtygirl gaiters on so I had to get my gaiters up to retie my shoes. A minute or so later, my shoes were re-tied successfully, and double knotted to make sure this did not happen again. The fire road goes for a while on undulating hills. I jogged the flats, scampered the downs and tried to keep a pretty decent pace on the uphills. I wanted to stay in the top 30-50% to ensure I did not get behind folks who were walking most of the AT.
I soon ran into my friend Jack from earlier along the uphill jog going up the road. He was funny, energetic and chatting about random things. When I first came up behind him, he asked if I minded how chatty he was. I assured him, that it was keeping my mind off the task at hand, which I greatly appreciated. He mentioned last year some person got a bit hostile about his amusing stories and insisted he quiet down. Since we established we both enjoyed talking, we kept up a pretty good conversation along the trail. I learn he and his friends are currently serving in the Army in North Carolina. I mention my sister is in the Air Force, but because I am a big sissy it is good that I am just a statistician for the FDA (I just don't think this country would be very strong if I was serving because pretty much I would always be ready to shriek and run the other way from any confrontation'and don't think I couldn't run really far!). We run for a bit chatting about various things. We observe a runner right in front of us who stumbles and trips numerous times. He also seems to fall now and again. But he keep plugging along, which is really impressive. It makes us aware that we better either shuffle along or really step high.
Another discussion we have is about runners (and others in general) who wear altogether too much cologne. Apparently there was a runner Jack and Mike were quite close to (and apparently could not get away from) during much of the race last year; by the end of their 50 mile run they were both quite nauseous. I could relate (not from this race) but because during my dating years I went on a date with a guy who must have swam in his cologne before a date. They suggested I should have continued the date back to his house, gone into his bathroom and broken his bottle of cologne (my husband suggests that this guy probably would have had numerous back up bottles of cologne just in case, so my brush with petty larceny might have been futile).
Soon enough we were going down the hill to Gathland. My husband was along the trail, and I tried to introduce him to my buddy Jack. A few moments later I popped out of the woods and there were a sea of people. Cindy and Imelda were there asking about my food and water situation. I knew I needed water so Cindy filled up my bottle. I was getting hot so I took off my jacket and outer pair of gloves and handed it to Imelda. A brief "Thank you, you are awesome" and I was off. Crossing the road, I call out my bib number (1463) to the volunteer checking us in and thank them for volunteering and I am back to running.
After getting out of Gathland, I was pumped. I was 20 minutes faster then my first year (2005) and nearly 40 minutes faster then 2006. I was on pace to get down Weverton Cliffs before the elites. This is one of my goals because it just is a lot easier to negotiate without having to worry about faster runners coming up from behind. During this section Jack, Mike and I kept up our conversation. I encouraged them to consider pacing for the Umstead 100 next year since they live pretty close to the race site (they would be awesome because they are so energetic and funny). They remind me of my awesome pacer Bobby from Umstead, who was very supportive, chatty and funny. Mike and Jack talk about wanting a crew to bring them shoes at mile 42. I tell them a cautionary tale about getting shoes during a race.
At Umstead 100, (an 8 lap course) I ran my 5th lap with my husband and my last lap the next morning with Tristan again. In arranging to run my last lap with Tristan, as we were exiting the main aid station, I mentioned I really wanted my sandals (Teva sandals with arch support). He could double back a little, grab my sandals at the car then catch up to me (I wasn't going that fast'I think 30 minute miles at that time). As he came back I observed that he grabbed my flip flops (not sandals). I was really bummed but had 8+ miles to get over it when I would pass by them again. We ran the loop and at mile 98 I saw my flip flops. I had blisters all over my feet. I was incoherent and just wanted my sandals. Well, in my mind (in my defense I had 98 miles on my legs and had been up for about 32 hours by that time; in my husband's defense apparently I was a depressed belligerent at this time) flip flops became the perfect running apparel. I whip off my shoes (okay a little artistic embellishment as I sort of hobble and try to get my shoes off). I put of my flip flops. I walk along the course about 50 feet. I am in misery. These shoes are awful. I want them off. But then I will have to put my shoes back on. My feet have swollen in just the mere moments my flip flops are on. And now I have to get my shoes back on. It is terrible. I will never put on shoes very late in any race ever again (well except Teva sandals'I just know they would have worked!).
After this discussion about crews Jack and Mike mention being cautious about using a crew (particularly a spouse) because they had a different friend who ended up divorcing over a bad spouse-crew experience. As I understand it, one spouse was crewing for the other and disagreements were occurring at the different aid stations. At some point the crewing spouse left the race course after a fight erupted and completely abandoning the runner. That is a bummer.
Another topic of conversation was Todd (I believe I met him on the uphill road to get to the trail). Todd apparently took 45 minutes in the Gathland Aid station last year. I am not sure I could even loiter at an aid station for 45 minutes (and I can loiter like a champ). It's not clear what he was doing while at the aid station but apparently he is known to take full advantage of the aid stations and take it easy while there. This year Jack and Mike decided just to abandon him before getting on the trail which benefited me greatly. We spend a lot of time talking about how we need to keep focused to get down Weverton before the fastest runners. We also spend a lot of time bemoaning how awful the trail and Weverton cliffs are (proposed really bad marketing motto: Weverton Cliffs, you'll fall for us). As we pass runners and get passed by runners we tend to comment how excited we are about getting off the trail. I even mention to one couple that passes me how I wish the trail was a bit better groomed. The lady mentions how much she loved the trail; although when I mention it to Mike and Jack, they suggest that she must have been being sarcastic.
As we get really close to the cliffs (as per a hiker less then 2 miles to go) Mike and Jack start joking about how much tougher they wish the trail would be and how they wish it would never end. But they fess up that it is just bravado knowing that we are about to get off it. It makes me laugh. I continue to confirm my sissy status and freely admit I am really glad the trail is nearly over. A volunteer at the top of the cliffs sends us in the direction of the cliffs. Most of the way down the 18 switchbacks I run into Tristan. He says I am almost at the bottom but cannot tell me how many switchbacks are left. He might have mumbled something about 100 vertical feet to go, but in the pieces of useless information this is priceless! Soon enough I get to the road and the swarm of people. I am excited and happy. After running miles and miles on the AT, I did not stumble, trip or fall. My sister and Imelda are there cheering me on and asking how I am doing. I am feeling great and really thrilled I made it down the cliffs without any mishaps. I am really happy that I made it off the cliffs without the elites catching up. This is good for both them (as they have one less runner to pass) and me (as I do not have to worry about staying to the right on the single track cliff switchbacks). After my sister filled my bottle with water it was time for me to continue moving along.
After running a brief extra bit of the trail and soon enough I am off the trail for good. At the train tracks, I confirmed no trains were going to arrive. Knowing I had time, I grab some celebratory food (M&M's, banana's and pretzels) and beverage (Gatorade) to toast my accomplishment of making all the way along the trail without any stumbles or falls. At the aid station, the person in first place passed me. He is running so fast. It is like there is a bear chasing him. I look quickly to confirm there is not a bear, which I am glad to figure out it is just that he is fast. After I finish my meal, I am on the C&O canal and I am excited. Sadly down the cliffs I lost my buddies Jack and Mike. I knew our time together was going to be limited but it still bummed me out. I lost my personal comedians and pacers, but I had to keep going and stay focused and positive. Pretty soon several other 7 a.m. starters pass me. I recognize one as Mike Wardian. I have run a bunch of marathons this past spring and fall in which he also ran. He always seemed to come in first place, I do not. He turns slightly when I cheer his name and I try to mumble something about meeting him at a run with Dean Karnazes this past fall. I am glad he does not take a tumble when he looked back because that is what I would have done. I guess this illustrates how bad and clumsy a runner I am.
I continue to jog along the canal and am excited to pass by Harpers Ferry. It is a beautiful city along the Potomac. Tristan and I hike here a lot in the winter so I think about all the times we have hiked around this area. I also think about the time we hiked up the C&O canal so we could tube down the river. Reminiscing perks me up. But I am running alone for the most part. I cannot keep up with the faster 5 a.m. runners and I do not really see any other slower runners who are running my pace.
After passing Harper's Ferry and Maryland heights, I arrive at the first aid station along the C&O canal. At this aid station, the first place women, Anne Lundblad passes me. I clap, cheer her on and wish her luck. She looks really strong. But she does not stop. I do and I make the most of my aid station time by eating, drinking and socializing. At some point I must continue on. After a "Thanks? to the aid station volunteers, I head off. I jog slowly. The leaves and scenery are beautiful. The leaves are pretty close to perfect, they are bright red, yellow, and orange. The reflection on the river is stunning. I appreciate the view as jog along the river and canal. I am starting to experience some pain. This bums me out a bit. I take some Advil and hope for the best.
At this point I decide I need to consider using one of my "lifelines". I want to use my "phone a friend? option. I call my sister and she offers me some words of encouragement. I ask her if she would run with me at mile 38 to the next aid station. I tell her it is only 6 miles. Sadly this is a lie. I do not realize that to run mile 38 to mile 46 is 8 miles. This is a bad math mistake which I may not live down for a while. I like to think statisticians do not have to be precise; we just need to be within an arbitrary margin of error. While convincing my sister to run with me the second women, Annette Bednosky passes me. She looks really strong and I clap and cheer for her. I love this race because the elites and average runners get to be at the same place at the same time for a brief moment in time. This gives me energy. Cindy offers up her pacing services at mile 27 at Antietam, but I tell her I am fine to get past the mile 27 Antietam aid station. I just am starting to feel that company would help get me to and past mile 38. I now have something to look forward to.
The C&O canal is a really nice path to run. It is a soft-pack surface (relatively speaking) and regularly has porta-potties and water pumps (spigots that you have to pump up and down for a minute or two to get water flowing). I make use of the porta-potty; this is a bit of effort because I have a bunch of layers on. After using the facilities I wash my hands at the water pump. It is a bit of effort to get the water flowing which earns a few comments from other runners about how much energy I am expending. I don't care, I am happy that my hands are moderately clean and less stinky. I spend a lot of time on my way to Antietam getting passed by runners. The 7 a.m. runners are passing me fairly regularly. I am impressed by them. They clearly are very fast in my opinion but they also are very nice and offer words of encouragement and support. It really boosts my spirits.
My friend Richard from Canada passes me at this point. He is looking really good and is in good spirits. It is great to seem him. He introduces me to a new friend Scott and we chat for a little. Soon enough we get to the Dahlgren aid station where we stop for some food, beverage and a photo opportunity. We both are avid photographers along any race course so I am really happy we have a moment to get a picture before he heads out back on the course. At this aid station I am excited to see a different friend spectating from a previous JFK 50 miler, Jason a super sweet gentleman from the coast guard who ran near me last year. After a quick hug and some words of encouragement and a picture I am back running. I catch up to Richard for a few moments and we continue to chat about how things are going. He looks amazing and I know he will finish and do really well. I cannot keep up, so wish him luck and we separate.
I am approaching the Antietam aid station. I am really excited and pumped. This aid station is a lot of fun. There are lots of spectators and my crew is there and ready to attend to all my needs. I really do not need anything except a refill of my water bottle. I am really happy to see my crew and give my sister a big hug because I am excited about our upcoming run starting at mile 38. I remind her that she needs to dress warmly because I do not run fast enough to generate much heat. At the aid station I grab some M&M's, animal crackers, bananas and pretzels. I also drink a few cups of Gatorade and some cola. On the way out I grab two Advil from the aid station table. Sadly my mouth is full with M&M's. Without thinking I pop the two Advil in my mouth and continue munching. A few seconds later I have a moment when I starting thinking, this is the worst M&M's I have ever tasted. I then realize the error in my ways. I try to rinse out my mouth. The taste is awful. A few steps away Montgomery County Road Runners has a table set up. I ask if I can help myself and they say sure. I sift through the candy bin looking for something to get the taste out of my mouth. I decide some taffy seems like a good choice. It works thankfully. Leaving the aid station I resume running.
The miles between Antietam to Mile 38 go pretty quickly. I am looking forward to having my sister keep me company at mile 38 so that keeps me going. I trade places with a fellow Reston Runner early starter: Katherine (who formerly crewed for me). We chat each time we pass each other; however our pace is just different enough to make it impossible to run together. We comment about how few (none) of the 7 a.m. Reston Runners have passed us. Is it because they were delayed in the start (doubtful'Mike's watch is 2 minutes fast), they are going slow or we are going fast (doubtful-at least for me). Pretty soon Ed C from Reston Runners comes up from behind. At some point Katherine and I are running together and we run into several dogs, we both are excited to meet the dogs. When she crewed for me, she had her dog as company which was really neat. Unexpectedly on the course Tristan popped out onto the towpath and surprises me. He comments that he was hiding behind a sign because I kept taking photos of him along the course, so all the pictures he had of me included a camera in front of his face. I responded by mentioning there are several people that you should not startle including pregnant ladies, people recently suffering heart attacks and people running ultra-marathons. Luckily I survive this "attack? with a few extra fear induced endorphins. A few moments later there is an aid station. I help myself to some food and beverage and continue to chat with Katherine (who I caught up to at the aid station). After we both thank the volunteers, Tristan takes a picture of Katherine and me. He then jogs with me for about .25 miles. Because of a chronic knee injury, he pretty quickly heads back to the car and I keep moving forward.
I am back to running alone. I pass one or two runners and a bunch of 7 a.m./regular starters pass me. Slowly Reston Runners are passing me: Jon N., Dana and a few others. Overall I am running my own race. Around the long bends I can see people ahead of me and behind me, but it does not appear there are any runners who seem to be going close enough to my pace. The course continues to be very beautiful. The trees are just stunning. And while the day is overcast, the weather is pretty good (particularly for me because I am bundled up in 4 shirts of varying thickness and two pairs of pants over my marathongirl skirt (which caused such a commotion earlier the day, but will not see the light of day during the race) a pair of gloves and an ear warming head band. I like excess and to be prepared and I am comfortable temperature-wise.
Soon enough I stumble on the latrine between Antietam and Mile 38 aid station. Have I mentioned how much I love having bathrooms with access to water frequently along this section of the 50 miler? I do! Well it is there and unoccupied so I take a potty break. After using the facilities and washing my hands (with self pumped water again), I get back to running. After a few steps I realize I am having a wardrobe malfunction. I am wearing moving comfort seamless underpants (best undies ever!), a marathongirl skirt (think mini-skirt with built in underpants), a pair of hind thermal/warm pants and a pair of wind pants on top. Somehow when I pulled up all of my pants/layers I must have not kept them in proper order. Something is in disarray. I am too far from the porta-potty to go back, and not willing to go into the woods to try to address and rectify the situation in private. I try to figure out which layer is the culprit. Underpants, nope accounted for and in the proper place. Marathongirl skirt, not sure but I think I figure out where the skirt part ends. And the bunching feels too thick for marathongirl skirt. I think it is my thermal/warm layer. I grab, pull, tug and try to detangle my pants. After a long process I think I figured out the problem and have addressed it. A few minutes later a gentleman runner passes me and comments about my extensive patootie grabbing. He mentions how amusing it was to observe my antics. He also is a bit curious about what the big issue was because he didn't perceive there were bees or some other critter that would be causing my troubles. I think I bummed him out when I explained it was a porta potty induced wardrobe malfunction. I guess considering the long bends along the river, we all should realize any runner behind us has the ability to observe exactly what we are doing for fairly extensive time periods. I wish him well and he responds by wishing me well. Back to being alone and aware that I need to not do anything more embarrassing, (I am not na? enough to think that the guy is not telling stories about this girl who kept grabbing at her buttocks along the C&O canal.. I sure don't need two of this type of story about me circulating).
Pretty soon I am surprised to see Tristan along the towpath. I am approaching mile 38 at high rates of speed (okay just joking, I am just ambling my way there). There are all sorts of amusing signs. I take pictures of all that I see (see my top 10 list for several quotes). The aid station is loud, energy filled, has lots of food, beverages and pharmaceutical products. The Jims (Jim A and Jim B) pass me here and are looking strong. Cindy, Imelda, and Tristan are ready to attend to my every need. As usual all I needed was a top off of my water. Since there was a chance of rain, I asked for my rain jacket. I reminded Imelda and Tristan that I would want my jacket (with headlamp/flashlight at the next aid station). I was getting Cindy as a pacer at this aid station. After hanging with my crew for a few moments I headed over to the aid station to forage. There are lots of treats. The usual goodies: cookies, banana's, pretzels, and M&M's as well as some new treats: soup, baked potatoes and salt and lots of pharmaceutical products. The over-the-counter pharmaceutical products take up a full table. Pretty much anything that ails you can be solved or covered up with these products. I limit my foraging to the food and beverages. I grab my usual fare as well as some cola to drink. I am hoping that the caffeine does not keep me up all night (but it's a risk I am willing to take). My pacer demands some payment: Nutter Butters. I acquiesce and grab 4 Nutter Butters. Two for each of us seems fair. I tell her that this reminds me of Gilligan because his favorite cookie is a Nutter Butter. Our running experience and sister bonding is about to begin. My parents didn't raise a fool. Because I do not need my rain jacket currently I look at it, then I look at my sister, I make sure my look is appropriately pitiful. She offers to carry it and I quickly agree.
We leave the aid station, Cindy looking fresh and happy; me, not as much. Tristan moves along with us for a bit, as does Imelda (nothing makes you feel as good as when people are walking to get to their cars and they pass you). Cindy reminds Imelda, "don't wreck the car? and we try to pick up the pace. Tristan continues jogging in the non-water filled canal and finally gets to the car. He wishes us luck (I think he is concerned one of us might end up in the river if a sibling fight erupts...which would only be funny if it was someone other than me ending up in the river). I try to pick up the pace. I mention to my sister that she might be stuck running with me for more then 6 miles. I try to explain that my math skills might be a bit sketchy and considering the next aid station in which crew will see us is mile 46; she is committed for 8 miles. I make sure Tristan and Imelda have driven away before I drop this little gem on her. She laughs it off and is fine with the distance. The weekend before JFK she completed a half Ironman triathlon. So she can definitely run 8 miles at my leisurely pace.
We chat about various topics. I am a little unsure about the time and my pace but mention that I think I might be on pace to break 12 hours. She definitely agrees with this assessment. We decide that breaking 12 hours will be a realistic goal (I think it is a little far fetched but I keep this to myself). We chat about random topics, running, life, her freezing at the half Ironman world championship the week before as well as other subjects. We are enjoying ourselves and the miles are flying by. I tell Cindy that I know there is a bathroom coming up and she mentions that there was one by the aid station. I tell her that one is for those less knowledgeable about the course. There is another C&O canal porta potty at about mile 40. I tell her of my strategy related to bathrooms always being near a water pump. I see a water pump. I am excited. I do not see a porta-potty. I am distressed. There is a hiker and I ask him about the whereabouts of the porta potty. He assures us it is just 100 meters. 100 meters my #$(@#!!! It is a good 400 meters. But we do get to it. I refuse Cindy's offer to take my stuff because I am really attached to all my paraphernalia (in my fanny pack I have my camera, a flashlight, some basic meds including Pepto and Advil, my insurance card, a Mojo Bar and a Marathon Bar all which travel all 50 miles with me'in retrospect some of these objects perhaps did not need to take this entire journey with me). It is too much effort to give her anything else except my gloves. After finishing I figure out that we passed the water pump and it is located before (not after or really close) to the facilities. I am not going backwards. This bums me out a bit but I get over it.
As we continue along the towpath I mention to Cindy that if I can get off the path by 3:00 p.m. I will not have to wear the really "hip? fluorescent vest. Cindy asks if 3 p.m. is based on Mike's time or Eastern Standard Time. I am stumped by this question, but speculate it is Mike's time. I think it will be really close. We continue running and I feel we are getting close to exiting the towpath. Cindy thinks we have an additional mile or two. I know I am right (having done this several times before), but she is pretty sure based on information conveyed at the mile 38 aid station.
We round a bend and see lots of fluorescent orange vests. I am proven right about getting off the towpath, but miss not having to wear a vest by minutes. I grab a vest. It is HUGE. We continue running up the massive hill that greets you upon getting off the towpath. But at some point I realize my safety vest is basically falling off. Cindy offers to get me a more normal sized one when we observe another runner with a more reasonable size. I take her up on this offer. She runs backwards and gets me a more appropriately sized vest. During this time we both have odd experiences. I have a few runners ask how I got off the towpath without being given a vest. A bunch of runners mention to Cindy she is going the wrong way and then comment about how fast she is going as she catches up to me. Many people later pass us who she apparently blew by. After she catches up to me she comments that I am hauling. I am getting excited about the finish. I passed the 8 miles to go sign and am feeling good and have no exceptional pains.
As we run lots of runners take a moment to chat with us; Cindy had been socializing as she caught up to me. It is good times. We start acting goofy and giggle a lot. We do "the wave". The runners behind us laugh at our antics. We later learn that a two person wave is not legal-I guess we should have recruited other runners to do this. Another pair of runners catches up to us. One looks pretty bad, one not as much. The healthier runner mentions he has only been running since the road section started. Cindy admits she has only been running a few miles. In this section it does become fairly obvious who have 42 miles on their feet versus others who have run considerably less miles. But the other runner and I express our appreciation for our pacers. It definitely makes a lot of difference. Cindy keeps me moving forward, she encourages me to jog pretty quickly, to keep my walking breaks to a minimum and to only walk for a limited time/distance. She is very motivational and keeps me moving forward. Soon enough we get to the mile 44 aid station. Cindy thinks Imelda will be here to take her off the course. She is sadly mistaken. At this aid station, I grab a cup of water for Cindy, a Gatorade, a cola and some food. There are no Nutter Butters and Cindy is not interested in any of the food. I limit my food intake and mention that it is related to the fact that the post-race pizza is the best ever (and I have two years experience with it).
After finishing at the aid station, and thanking the volunteers, I see a cute horse across the street I want to meet. I go over and get Cindy to take my picture. She snaps one as I am petting the horse on the nose. I convince the horse to move its head over the fence and allow it to lick my hand. It is licking and licking and then it is biting. I am getting bitten by a horse. It is painful and I am shrieking. My fingers life passes before my eyes: typing, petting my animals, grabbing things". Finally the horse lets go. I scurry away making a mental note that I should not pet strange horses along the course (I also take note of its description: it is brown with white markings). Hopefully I will not get horse-bite fever. It reminds me of my previous year's animal incident. I tell Cindy about the Opossum incident of 2006. Sometime after mile 38 in 2006 I was jogging along the C&O canal. Tristan was with me keeping me company. I see an opossum near the towpath and approach it. I tell Tristan to take a picture of me with it. I am smiling and ready for the Kodak moment. The possum is really cute. It is moving towards me. It is picking up the pace. I am starting to shriek and panic. I am not very stable on my feet, I cannot move left and right at all, I can barely jog and an attack possum is coming after me at high rates of speed. I don't know what to do but my options are limited. I am horrified; this is not how my picture was supposed to go. Finally the possum veers off at the last second. So now two years in a row I have a wild animal encounter. I wonder what next year holds. I sure hope it is not a bear or attack deer (if you want to read about a near deer attack during a regular run, see my report from 2005).
After shaking off my brush with death at the teeth of the horse, Cindy and I resume jogging. We continue to run meeting and chatting with other runners. Everyone is very nice. It is only 2 miles until we meet up with Imelda and Tristan. I ask Cindy if she wants to run with me for the remainder of the race or if she wants to bail. I sell staying with me by mentioning that she would have only 4 miles to go. I also suggest that breaking 12 hours would be a lot easier if I had her company to motivate me to the end. She agrees. We get to the aid station and update Imelda and Tristan on our continued sister jogging team. I am excited. I grab some beverages and food and thank the aid station volunteers. All Cindy wants is water, so that is what she gets. Imelda gives me my jacket (with flashlight/headlamp). Tristan takes my rain jacket since it sounds like the rain is not going to arrive before I finish. We meander on suggesting we will see them at the finish (sub 12 hours'Wahoo!). Tristan drives past us playing my Goo Goo Dolls CD. This gives me lots of energy. Mike Malinin of the Goo Goo Dolls does ultra-marathons (including 100 milers) and is signed up to run JFK this year. Tristan passes us with the radio on "rock star LOUD? and drives with us for a bit. This makes me really happy. Finally cars come up behind him and Tristan must head off to the finish line. I am now positive I will break 12 hours. But Cindy and I have this long debate about what mile pace I need to do to break 12 hours. We are confused by Mike's bizarre time and cannot figure out how to alter our clock time to match his clock. My math skills have been gone since about mile 9 (even at Weverton cliffs I could not count the number of switchbacks correctly). We pick up the pace just in case.
I am getting hot, I take off my jacket. Cindy foolishly offers to carry it. I am smart, I let her. The jacket is a little heavy, but all the stuff in the pockets makes it heavy. She is shocked by the weight. I tell her that there is a flashlight, headlamp, spare pair of gloves and some other random stuff in the pockets. But she has agreed to carry it and a promise is a promise. I worry a little that she will start jettisoning my stuff discretely along the roads in Williamsport, but hope for the best.
Soon we catch up to a very young lady runner, Angela. It is obvious she is hurting. We chat and learn she is 15 years old and has run this once before. We are really impressed. She previously finished the 50 miler in 12+ hours, but wants to finish in less than 12 hours this year. It looks possible if she keeps moving at a moderate and consistent pace. Cindy really encourages her (as she is getting really good at lying'you look fine, you are moving so fast, you look great'they fall right off her lips without so much as a hesitation). We run with her for a mile or so. But at some point she says she must resume walking. We wish her the best of luck and tell her that she can do it!
Pretty soon we run under the highway (I-81 I think). Then we make our first right turn in Williamsport. We pass the 1 mile to go marker. I am so excited. I see the water tower that people had referenced previously. Because I always arrived in the dark, I still have no sense as to how close I am to the finish. Traffic cops and volunteers direct me along the streets. I say "Thanks? and continue on. Pretty soon we get to a gas station. This is a landmark I recall being very close to the finish. We turn right and jog just a little bit. In the distance I can see a tent, an RV and lots of people. It is the finish. Cindy grabs my camera and takes some pictures. I am so happy, it is over and although I have been running since before sunrise, I will be done before sunset. I notice the clock. It says 11:40 something. I am shocked. I was anticipating 11:59 or maybe 11:55, but not 11:49. I continue running in awe. The finish line is so emotional. I am stunned about how dramatically I have improved my time. I have taken 1 hour 20 minutes off lasts year's time and 40 minutes of my PR from 2005. I am just amazed. I finish the race feeling immense pride and satisfaction. It was tough, but I had a great time! I am ready to sign up again.
After being awarded my medal, the nice volunteers gave me a bottle of water and in just a few moments I ran into Richard. It was a great surprise to see him. He is such a great friend and such an inspiration. Cindy, Tristan and Imelda show up after a few moments. They take a picture with Richard and me. What better way is there to end a race then with good friends and family?
I am getting a bit chilled, so I head inside for my celebratory pizza. It is just like I remembered'best pizza ever (and I learn it is Tony's'someday I'll go there). There are also Twinkie's, ho ho's, ding dongs and other yummies. Life is good. I grab some Gatorade and drink it down and am feeling great. I then go outside to cheer on some of the runners. On my way out I realize I should use the restrooms. It sure is nice to have indoor plumbing. After a long hand wash (with warm water and no physical exertion) I could barely be happier. But alas as I step out of the bathroom and glance towards the gym and see Anne Lundblad walking down the hallway. She is such an inspiration to me. She finished as the first female three years ago during which she said something nice to me along the canal. After the race the Reston Runners interviewed her and she encouraged all runners to just do their best. During Umstead 100 miler, she ran the 50 but always had kind and encouraging words for all the runners. She is such a down to earth and encouraging person; it just really impresses me that while she is so famous and great at running, she really supports every runner. I decide to ask if she would mind if I got my pictured with her. She agree's and my sister snaps a picture of us. It just adds to this day which is turning out to be one of my best ever! After a brief congratulations and good luck in future races we head our separate ways. I go outside to cheer more runners on. I walk up and down the street a little to stretch out. After a little bit, Tristan moves the car closer to the school and brings me a chair. I sit down near the finish line. I clap, cheer and encourage the runners to the finish. I love cheering. It really makes me happy. And some of the runners even have enough energy to thank me for cheering. They are awesome! I stay outside through the remainder of the race. I have my winter jacket on, gloves and ear warmers so I am happy, content and comfortable. I sit and cheer runners. People I know, I use their names. Reston Runners, early starters I have met previously and runners toughing it out to finish. Anstr one of the Virginia Happy Trails members finishes. It is his 25th time'I learned this when I jogged with him and his wife near mile 30. They are really nice.
Twenty minutes until 7 p.m. is announced (by a very funny announcer who makes all sorts of amusing comments about the runners in general). Then 15 minutes to go. My friend Peter Westcott appears on the road. We keep running into each other at races including Umstead 100, Marine Corps Marathon and even will be Disney Goofy for the third year in a row this Jan. and I am happy to see him finish. My friend Leo Lightner from 2005 finishes; he is not looking that stable but he is getting the job done. Ten minutes to go. Mike Malinin of the Goo Goo Dolls finishes. I have been cheering every one of the runners on and am not sure which one he is (three guys with white shirts finish with a guy in a black shirt-I later learn gentleman with black shirt). The announcer plays a Goo Goo Dolls song. I am on my feet, dancing, cheering and having a great time. Those runners still on the course have got to finish quickly. They have less than 5 minutes to go. A few more runners and walkers come in. I know how nice it is when there are at least one or two people cheering their hearts out a finish line. I am that person tonight. I could not be clapping, cheering, or hooting any louder than I am. I am more exhausted doing this then the race, but it is worthwhile. Less then one minute left. But no runners are nearby. The last finisher crossed the line a few minutes before 7 p.m. But I stay out just in case. The announcer states that all runners are accounted for. My last task for the day is done.
I finished the race in a PR. I think it might remain a PR forever; however, I will be back running the JFK 50 miler for many years to come. It is a really well organized and run race. The race director, Mike Spinnler and all the volunteers are exceptional. We could not accomplish these feats without any one of them. The Reston Runners are also awesome. This is my third year that they have adopted a kid from the wrong side of the river. But they welcome me with open arms and hearts. Anna and Jim are awesome. They are great runners, super supportive and they have the gift to make you believe in yourself and your dreams.
Finally I want to thank my crew. Imelda was awesome. She is a friend of my sister who got "steamrolled? into volunteering through association. But she never uttered a word of complaint about the awful time she had to wake up (3 a.m.), how cold the day was, or the fact I sort of stole my sister for the last 12 miles. Cindy my crew/pacer was awesome. She kept me happy, motivated and watched my back. She also made sure I broke 12 hours when it became clear it was an achievable goal. I could not have done this without her. Finally Tristan, he has supported my crazy running lifestyle with relative nonchalance. We've run together, hiked together and trained together and have had a blast. While he could not run with me in this year's JFK due to his knee pain, I know he was a good pacer from Umstead 100. And soon he'll be all better and running with me again.
Thank you, good luck, and Happy Running!
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups
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