24 in the can. I need a fall race goal to keep from getting a big butt. Even after 24 years, I can surprise myself with my results.
You must have a little good fortune to finish the same race for 24 straight years. You have to be healthy and trained on the same day. And, cooperating weather helps. Today, there was a forecast for tailwinds over the final 35 miles of the course and rain starting about 3 pm. Compared to last year’s mud bogs from snow two days before the race, dry conditions made the trails runnable.
No training excuses this year. In the middle of August, I had to take a few days off for a sinus issue. And the summer was not overly hot, humid, or wet.
I finished all my long runs as scheduled, and they were about as fast as in previous years. My final traditional AT training run was 9 minutes slower than in 2018. This run is a good predictor of how I will do in the first 15 miles.
I dropped down to 164 lbs for the race. Carrying an extra 6 pounds for 50 miles doesn’t help. I’d rather have been 160.
The week before the race, my year-to-date miles, 1621, was 91 more than in 2018. This number has been relatively consistent over the past five years.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn and arrived on time at 5:35 am. As we have done for the past many years, we have parked in downtown Boonsboro. This year, about 300 feet from the start line and got ready to run. The race sold out this year with 1200 registered runners, and more people are parking in town. So, it took a little longer to find parking.
Temp at the start was 29 with a forecast of partly cloudy skies with raising temps to the low 40s, rain starting around 3 pm, and an eight mph tailwind on the C&O canal path and Dam 4 Road section.
Conditions were ideal for compression shorts, a long sleeve undershirt, and a singlet. Being cautious, I also tied a second long sleeve shirt around my waist.
I didn’t know how I would do. I finished with 18 minutes to spare in 2018, my Weverton test run was slower than in 2018, and my long runs were just a little slower than in 2018. My goal was to run without getting hurt on the AT. Then, hopefully, hanging on to finish before the cutoff of 13 hours.
As usual, I run the first 20 minutes and then walk the remaining time to the South Mountain Inn. And, my time to the top was about a minute faster than in 2018. The course changes to a single-track trail, with the larger field, causing backups. But, since there is a lot of uphill in this section, I was walking anyway.
At mile 4, there is about a 2-mile paved section and then back on a single-track trail. And, as usual, people were streaming past me on the path. I don’t recall passing anybody until about mile 13.
At this point, the trail is starting a descent with very rocky conditions. However, most of the rocks are flat and large enough for easy footing from rock to rock. Those previously passing me were now slowly picking their way through this section. Having run this section at least 50 times, I could bounce from rock to rock and didn’t knock anybody down on my way.
My best time from the top of Weverton to the bottom is a little under 12 minutes. The switchbacks, being dry, were very runnable for me. There were a few groups that were too cautious, causing some backups. Coming up on their back, I had to ask if they were all together before pushing past them, sometimes taking a few risks. The final descent took a little over 13 minutes. I came off the AT in under 4 hours for the first time in at least seven years.
While in college, Megan started crewing for me. It’s been for more than ten years. I surprised her when I arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule and 30 minutes ahead of 2018. I change into road shoes and tell her I will be at the next crew stop between 6:30 and 7:15.
For the first time since they went to the unified 6:30 am start, I was not worried about the cutoffs, feeling I could get to Antietam by 7 hours and have 1 hour between each subsequent aid station to finish by 13 hours.
I set my watch for a 2-minute walk and 8-minute run repeats. I feel pretty good and get to Antietam at 6:34.
I told Megan I would be at the next crew stop between 9 and 9:30 and change my watch to a 4-minute walk and 6-minute run repeats. I stay on that pattern until reaching Megan just after 9 hours. However, my run portions are getting harder, my quads are stiff, and I feel I’m walking faster than running.
Just before reaching this aid station, it started to drizzle. I switch the shirt around my waist to a heavier shirt and tell Meg to have my Gore-Tex jacket ready at the next crew stop, just in case.
I switch to a 2-minute walk and 2-minute run pattern. I feel the runs are slower than the walks. As I’m eating and walking and the 2 minutes are up, I tend to continue to walk for another 2 minutes. During one of these snack breaks, I almost gacked on a banana, which started my worrying about eating and drinking.
I get off the canal path at 10:10. Any rain that has fallen or will fall in the next 2 hours is light and not noticeable.
The last 8 miles are on pavement and are pretty easy to strategize, walk the ups and run, assuming you can, the flats and down. But, knowing I had plenty of time to spare, after reaching mile 7 to go, I walked almost to the end. And I was able to maintain a 14-minute per mile walking pace. After 3 miles to go, I did not feel drinking would stay down. So, I didn’t. It’s only 42 minutes. I think I can survive.
If you start a race running, you need to finish running. With about 200 meters to go, I started running again and did a 13:31 last mile. I finished in 12:13:35, 28 minutes faster than in 2018, all from my faster time on the AT.
No blisters and no broken toe nails this year. I did take a while to eat and drink something at the finish. It did stay down. After changing clothes, we headed for the post-race whopper.
Now with 24 in the bank, what’s next? The yearly goal of running this race keeps my weight down and my butt from expanding. Plenty of time before the cutoffs. I don’t even have that excuse.
I may run a spring marathon to extend my marathon or longer finish streak to 28 years. We’ll think about number 25 just before registration opens in March. I really could add mileage to my training. I probably should do more work on my core and diet.
Go for 25?
Many thanks to Megan for crewing for me. In another year, with changing weather conditions, it is nice to have a great support crew. Knowing she would be there helps get through the cold and hard spots.