19 in the can. 364 days until finish number 20. I made it through the JFK 50 mile this past Saturday feeling much better than I have in a long time, well, at least through the first 27 miles.
I changed my training a little this year. My typical long run is 12 miles each Monday, ramping up to 20 miles by October. Instead of ramping up my long run distances starting in late August and going from 12 to 20 miles in about five weeks, I ran 14 miles each Monday in July, 16 miles each Monday in August, 18 miles each Monday in September, and 20 miles each Monday in October. The 10km on Oct 19 was about a minute slower from 2013, and that was the only race I had run since July. I felt good enough that I didn’t even write up my list of ailments and give them to Meg in a sealed envelope if I passed out on the course. I hoped to finish before they shut down the finish line.
The forecast for the day was temps in the high teens at the start and low 40s by midday. Winds of 7 mph coming from the South for tailwinds on the 26 miles of the C&O canal path. With low temps on the AT, I started in tights and a heavier Dri-Fit shirt.
I run the first 20 minutes and then walk the remaining uphill to the South Mountain Inn. Doing this routine, I was the first person to the top. I ran behind the lead police car for a while on the road without my headlamp on, and he could not tell how close I was to him. I’d click it on, and he would move forward.
Unexpectantly, people didn’t start flying past me on the trail portion until I was on the trail for 10 minutes and most until after the radio tower at mile 6. About mile 8, Lynne Clemo finally caught up to me, and we ran most of the way on the trail to Weverton. She liked running the down sections on the rocks less than I did. So, she yoyoed off the back at times.
I was wearing a pair of North Face trail shoes. They didn’t feel great in training. However, on this day, except for the sharp rock coming through the bottoms, I felt smooth and light across the rocks, coming down to Weverton 10 minutes faster than in 2013.
I set my watch for a 2-minute walk and 8-minute run repeats. Lynne finally comes up behind me within a mile. I tell her I’m doing an eight-run, two-walk pattern and will switch to a six-run, two-walk pattern. Somewhere, I might get down to a two-run, two-walk routine. We run off my watch until about mile 32. I maintained the eight-minute run sections until about mile 26 and six-minute run sections until about 30. Somewhere after mile 32, Lynne pushed on ahead to finish in 11:24 in her first JFK. I continue to the end of the canal path using the 2/2 and get there with 5 minutes to spare, not having to don a reflective vest.
The last 8 miles are on pavement and are pretty easy to strategize, walk the ups and run the flats and down. I can do this the entire distance. Once at 48.7, I crest the last hill just after the last aid station. There is a downhill to 1 mile to go, and by then, this horse knows where the barn is and runs the last mile in 9:53, which is 14 seconds faster than the first mile of the day. I finished in 11:39, 33 minutes faster than in 2013. But, still my 18th slowest time.
After finishing, I had a hard time breathing and was surprised the EMTs didn’t grab me. I guess since I was still standing, that was a good sign.
Many thanks to my daughter Meg for crewing for me. This race was either her ninth or tenth year as my crew. Knowing she would be there helps get through the cold and hard spots.