I was not mentally motivated to run JFK this year. I kept visualizing the 70 milepost, which is about halfway through the course.
On Monday, October 25, I still had not registered for the race. I planned to do my regular three weeks before JFK trail run on Wednesday, October 27, and then decide. But that night, I came down with a sore throat and scheduled a COVID test for Wednesday. I canceled my run for that day.
My COVID test came back negative, and by Friday, I was feeling better. Good enough that I wanted to register for either a November marathon in Arkansas or JFK. I read my own book and the comments I made after last year’s JFK finish about year 26. I wrote, “… eliminate the pressure … if it happens, it happens.”
Friday afternoon, I completed my JFK registration and got assigned a bib number in the 1600 range. I found that number was strange. How could that number be so high when the field capacity was 1200? Probably, it was a filler bib number. They’ve since reassigned me to bib 57.
Most people think JFK fills up early. Last year, JFK still had 40 open spots as of the start of packet pickup, and I assume they still have openings now.
Now, I had to get in that last AT long run. I usually don’t work Saturday evenings. My boss needed me to fill a shift this past Saturday. To avoid working five days in a row, he gave me off Monday, November 1. For the 13 years, I operated RTU, the Monday 19 days before JFK was the day I did the workout.
I first did this workout in 1996 as my last long trail run before my first JFK, three weekends before race day. I have continued doing this training for each of the previous 25 years.
The workout is a 4-hour run. I park at the Weverton lot, run on the AT to Gathland Gap, and back to Weverton. With any time left, I continue on the AT south to the C&O canal.
I followed the racecourse in the early years, climbing over the guardrails and running across Rt 340. Eventually, the AT under Rt 340 was completed, and the racecourse was changed.
In 1996, I completed the AT section in 2:45 and ran 1:15 on C&O for about 20 miles total.
I remember tights were required in the early years when the weather was below freezing. There was rain at least three times, including Super Storm Sandy in 2012 and Tropical Storm Zeta in 2020. In recent years, the temperatures have been at least 45 degrees. I’ve never had snow on the ground during this workout.
A couple of times, I came back on the road rather than trail. One time, my watch died, and I didn’t know if I could make it back before dark. During Super Storm Sandy, I had enough of the pounding rain and wind when I reached the Gap.
Over the years, my time on the AT has slowed to near or over 4 hours. I no longer have time to do extra miles on C&O.
I’ve noticed that the time I spent on the AT as part of this workout is a good predictor of my race time from the start to coming off the AT.
In the 1996 race, I came off in 2:45.
In 2017, my workout time was 4:15, race time 4:14, and 2020 4:31:58, 3:57. I ran the 2020 workout during a tropical storm.
This year, my run started around 10:50 am. The temperature was 56 degrees with ten mph winds and sunny. I wore shorts over compression shorts and singlet over a long sleeve shirt, gloves, neck gaiter, and ball cap.
As with race day, I used my Nike Pegasus Trail 36. The trail shoes have toes protection.
I didn’t tape my ankles. I probably should have.
I’m using my double bottle belt on race day. So, I wore the same pack today. I included a knit hat, a long-sleeved shirt, a 1/2 liter bottled water, and a headlamp inside the bag.
I carried two bottles of UCAN and predetermined that I had enough liquid to drink 5 ounces every 20 minutes. I set my countdown timer to beep at each that interval. If my timer signaled a drink break on flat, downhill, or smooth sections, I would wait for the next uphill to drink.
Just before starting, I texted my support crew that I expected to be done by 3:15 pm. By 5 pm, if I didn’t tell my team I was done, they were to send for help.
Heading up the switchback, my breathing was heavier than usual. My legs felt fine. So, they were getting enough oxygen.
I noticed a few extra logs across the trail that will not be cleared by race day. Probably, they will create a backup on race morning. Toward the top, there were a couple of eroded corners. I had to use my hands to get around them.
I arrived at the top in under 20 minutes, faster than last year’s workout time.
My next checkpoint is the Garvey Shelter. This location is the halfway point between the Gap and Weverton. My time for this segment was 43:46.
There is only one cross trail. This trail is about halfway between the Gap and Garvey. My time for this segment was 38:35.
I finally arrived at Gathland Gap with a segment time of 32:10. There, I made a pit stop in the porta pot, one of the cleanest porta pots I have ever seen in a State Park.
My back splits were 32:58, 37:42, and 43:51.
My time down the switchbacks was 20:32. That was slower than going up. I was not running well on the way down. My best time ever down the switchbacks is under 12 minutes.
My total time was 4:29:04. I was able to text my support crew by 3:25 pm,
Though I ran this workout faster than last year, my time down the switchback was 3 minutes slower.
My running stride was OK. I had no bounce and did more shuffling than running.
My shoulders were tight and sore. I must be hunching over.
I stayed upright but did hit my toes a couple of times. The trail shoes helped save my pinkies.
There are four ups after Garvey. After the 4th up, there are many rocks on the decline. I was able to jump from rock to rock. I hope to do better on race day.
They have either changed the trail route, moved some of the rocks, or performed excellent trail maintenance. The stones seemed less pointed. I do expect more leaf coverage on race day.
We’ll see how we do on race day. I predict a 4:30. I’ll be happy with 4:15 and ecstatic under 4 hours. Any of these times will give me 15 minutes per mile to finish.
This long-run broke up my sinus congestion. Farmers would be proud.
I made it back to Fredericksburg by 5:45 pm on Loudoun and Fauquier County back roads through Hillsboro, Purcellville, St Louis, and Marshall, then on Route 17.