Editor's note: 2001 will be Bill's 10th JFK50

The following is about some my experiences running the JFK and thoughts on things to do: It Always Helps to be Prepared (or Lucky)

My most memorable JFK happened on a cold November day in 1987. I had met Bill Law to ride with him to the start of the race in Boonsboro. We stopped with another couple carloads of runners from the Annapolis Striders in Frederick at a truck stop on I-70. When we came out again, we found that it was snowing hard. The cold temperature resulted in the snow accumulating rapidly on the roads even though it did not last long. We proceeded towards Boonsboro on Alt US 40 and found that the road was extremely slippery. Our car made it over the ridge before the town but others could not make it up the hill. We arrived at the school for the start shortly after the race had started but several other cars did not make it until the road crews we able to clear the roads.

I remember stepping out of the car into the cold wind. I had a Gore-Tex warmup suit on over my tights and long sleeve shirt plus gloves and hat. After a quick assessment of the conditions, I decided to start, leaving all my warmup clothes on. As I ran through Boonsboro, I remember the temperature displayed by the bank as being 25 F. There was a good amount of wind and periodic snow showers all day. On the canal, as the canal changed directions, the wind would go from a direct head wind (zip the jacket all the way up) to the wind coming from one side (zip the jacket half way down). The JFK web page lists the wind chill at the start for that day as -15 F. The rest of that winter, weather conditions during training runs did not seem bad at all.

Lessons learned:

It is hard to drink out of a water bottle that keeps freezing - hot soup and drink at the aid stations were particularly welcome You can survive anything with the proper layers of clothing. It is good to be prepared for any weather conditions and have a good idea of the forecast for the day. Eating and drinking is critical to having a good run. You have to mentally make yourself push through the low spots (I generally have one between 28-35 miles but feel better later)

JFK Strategy:  I treat the run as having several parts:

Start to beginning of the trail (~3 miles) - Run at least part of the hill to get a position in the pack for the narrow trail ahead (hard to pass on some sections).

Trail to Weaverton (~3-15 miles) - Run the uphills that are not too steep and walk the steep parts (road to tower), try not to kick or trip on rocks. Weaverton to Canal (to 17 mils) - Get to aid station and across train tracks before train blocks them.

Canal (17-43 miles) - Try to find a good pace for the towpath - do a run/walk strategy (1) by time, (2) by mileposts, or (3) walk at aid stations.

Roads to finish (43-50.2) - Walk the first hill from the canal, mix run/walk depending on how I feel for the rest of the way.