20 in the can. Looking back at my first finish and thanks to Jeff Reed, he posted my first JFK report at http://www.oocities.org/madeads/vic_jfk.html. I resurrected it to my blog posting 1996 JFK 50 Mile. Lot has changed though a lot has stayed the same. And almost 4 hours slower.
My training this year was hampered by issue after issue. It started in March when I tweaked my right knee while running. I refused to go to the doctor as anything he did would have probably prevented me from running yesterday. If I denied it was an issue, I guess it wasn’t. Come June, when ramping up my weekly long run, I pulled my right hamstring during an easy 6-mile run. I added a 15-minute stretching routine to my daily runs, did a lot of walking breaks during training runs, and was able to get in three 20-mile runs in October with only 1-minute walk breaks every 20 minutes. Still, my year-to-date mileage was 100 miles fewer than last year.
I’m still not sure what the knee issue is. I wear a patella tendon strap during some runs, making my knee feel better. So, that might be a clue. It does hurt to bend more than 90 degrees. So running downhill on a rocky trail does look a bit awkward at times, knowing that I need to go off the tiny drops hitting with my right foot rather than my left.
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 Hampton Inn was sold out. So, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which was about 8 miles further away from the start. And, for the first time, I was running late. Intending to leave at 4:05 am, we finally get out at about 4:15 am. We have parked in downtown Boonsboro and about 50 feet from the start line this year as in past years. I hit the porta pot and then got ready to run.
The forecast for the day was temps in the mid-30s at the start and low 50s by midday. Winds of 9 mph coming from the Southeast for tailwinds on the 26 miles of the C&O canal path. With potential low temps on the AT, I started in tights but a light Dri-Fit shirt. Because of the forecast, I didn’t even pack my GoreTex jacket and gloves.
About 6 minutes from the start, I tried my headlamp to see how many people were standing in the porta pot line. My headlamp does not work, and I don’t have a backup. I fiddle with it for a few minutes, and it works. I even have time for a selfie.
As usual, I run the first 20 minutes and then walk the remaining time to the South Mountain Inn. I went through the first mile in 10:22. And my time to the top was about 90 seconds slower than last year. I didn’t feel as good as I should. I was in roughly 7th place at the top.
People started streaming past me. Some of the tricky turns in the first section were not lit up as usual. But, with Dan Huffman and Dennis Bane running nearby, we could stay on course.
Even with my awkward stride, I finished the AT portion in 4:11, only 8 minutes slower than in 2014. And, 2 minutes faster than in 2013. The last section from the Garvey Shelter felt good, and my descent down Weverton had a few opportunities. But I stayed upright.
I was wearing a pair of North Face trail shoes. Except for the sharp rock coming through the bottoms, I felt smooth and light across the rocks.
I do the calculation and determine that staying under 15-minute miles will get me to the finish on time. I set my watch for a 2-minute walk and 6-minute run repeats. I’m able to maintain this to the Shepherdstown Bridge at mile 30. At this point, I’m near Dan and Dennis, and Dan asks about missing cutoffs if we did the 7 am start. Yes, we would have missed the cutoffs, and the aid stations would be out of food. But, by this time, keeping the miles under 20 will get me to the finish on time.
Within a few cycles, I switch to a 3-minute run and 2-minute walk repeat until Taylor’s Landing at mile 38. I did notice that in the last minute of the run portion, I was hunching a lot. After changing shoes at Taylor’s Landing, I switch to 2-minute run and 2-minute walk repeats. Even though the running portion was a shuffle, it was faster than the walking. I missed the 3 pm deadline to the end of the canal, and I had to put on 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. Though on some of the downs, it was ‘crap that’s down. I have to run?’
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 10:15, which is 7 seconds faster than the first mile of the day. I finished in 12:13, 34 minutes slower than in 2014 and my slowest time by a minute.
With 20 in the bank, do I retire from running this race? The yearly goal of running this race keeps my weight down and my butt from expanding. I will probably go for number 21. But, I might visit the doctor when I get injured.
Many thanks to my daughter Meg for crewing for me. This race was either her tenth or eleventh year as my crew. Knowing she would be there helps get through the cold and hard spots.
TMI section: What happens on the trail stays on the trail.
I was wrong when I told Megan I had no blisters after 50 miles. When taking off my ankle tape, there was blood on the back part of my right sock. How did I not feel this?
At about mile 22, a kid starts pacing off me. He runs the 6 minutes I run and walks when I walk. He stays less than 5 feet behind me. For JFK, this is abnormal as run-walk patterns do a lot of leapfrogging. With him, that close behind me, the things a runner needs to do to expel bodily chemicals (i.e., snot rockets) can’t happen. And bottling up those chemicals can cause other stresses and digestive issues. If he wanted to pace off me, come up alongside and talk.
After about three repeats (about 24 minutes), I decided to lose this kid and run the next 6 minutes at an accelerated pace surging every time he caught back up. I don’t know if this caused me any issues later on. But, the legs did feel good.
Hemorrhoids started popping out for some reason—most noticeable in the shower, post-race.
End of TMI Section