After a restless night, which included going back to the car half-way through, I awoke to watch the 100-milers prepare for their 5:00 AM departure. I found Andy and Eric and took a few pictures before Eric vanished into the darkness with the rest of the field. I found my friend Steve who was also running the marathon, and we shared race strategies over breakfast. I planned on taking it out hard and trying to stay with the leaders before settling into a comfortable pace, while he was using the race as a training run for the Tahoe 200 later this fall. The temperature forecast was frightening, with the "real-feel" cracking 100F by mid-day. Despite the heat, I planned to only carry a single handheld water bottle for the race, with the intention of hydrating primarily at the aid stations scattered every 5-6 miles, and using the water bottle sparingly.
The race started at 7:00 AM sharp and I quickly surged to the front of the pack, only a few steps behind the leader. We blazed through the 1st (and only) road mile in ~6:45 and made our way into the park, forming a small gap from the rest of the field. I took the lead near the 2nd mile, opening a gap of my own, and jolted through the technical ridge. I led through the next 3 miles, feeling fantastic as I made my way alone up the first of five big climbs. 3/4 of the way up I was passed by a runner that absolutely flew up the hill. I tried to stay with him, but thought it better to try and catch him when the trail leveled off. I arrived at the 1st aid station with the 3rd place runner right on my heels, took an orange slice and left. We ran together for the next mile or so until he ran by me during the next technical section.
A few other runners passed me and as I began toward the 2nd ascent, I found a comfortable pace with a runner from Canada, Chris. We ran through the next few miles together, engorged in a fantastic conversation, chatting about marathons in this area compared to marathons in Canada. I was beginning to have foot pain on the downhills as we descended from the ridge near mile 10, and Chris went ahead. I entered the mile 11 aid station alone, somewhere around 12th place. The volunteers joked that the next 6 miles were pancake-flat, which clued me in that there was some difficult terrain ahead. I ate some watermelon, refilled my handheld, and made my way across the nearby bridge, the next aid station 6 long miles ahead.
The weather was becoming exceedingly warm, and as I looked down at the river below, I half-wished the trail traveled through water instead. Shortly after crossing the bridge, the trail made a sharp right and began to climb. This climb may have been the hardest of the entire course. After the initial 500-600 ft, the trail continues to climb another 300 ft until we were exposed to the sun above. I was trying to portion my water but had drank 3/4 after two miles. This was the first moment I thought I may not be able to finish. Then I thought of Eric, who was suffering through the same conditions I was, and had a much farther way to go. I decided to not worry about my time and just to make sure I completed the race. After even more climbing, the trail eventually reached it's peak at a small fire road. Standing there, were several volunteers and spectators with water and ice. A huge wave of relief came over me as I entered this unofficial aid station.
After refilling my bottle and taking a small cup of ice for the
I left the aid station alone, and scurried down the make-shift trail on the other side back to the road. From there, the marathon runners diverged with the 100 mile athletes, as we remained on the road across the river and continuing on a rail bed. The flat soft gravel was a nice change of pace from the steep technical ascents and descents, but it was short-lived. After a few cheers from a few day-hikers, the next difficult ascent began. The climb was not steep (relatively) and the trail was well groomed, but this was the hill that broke my competitive spirit. I grinded through switchback upon switchback for well over a mile, my calves and quads begging for mercy. There were several hikers making there way down the path as well, all of which passed along words of encouragement. I finally arrived at the "peak" to find an EMS woman cheering us on.
I ran the soft dirt double-wide path until the race turned left to a single track section. Through the trees, there was an excellent view that illustrated just how high we had climbed. The trail began to descend, gradually at first, but I soon discovered the worst descent of the day. Steep switchbacks with wet rocks lay ahead, and I had my share of close calls coming down the mountain. After an abysmally slow trek down, I arrived on a double-wide trail parallel to a local road. I assumed the aid station must be close, and mustered a slow jog. This double-wide was almost entirely flat and easy running, but my tired legs could only run for a few minutes at a time. Seeing no aid station in sight, I slowed to a walk. I repeated this cycle 4 or 5 times, my thirst growing with each step. Finally, after about 3 miles on this path, I heard cheers from the aid station. I stormed forward and emerged from the woods, greeted by a few young children dousing me with water guns. It was truly a euphoric moment. This aid station was my favorite of the day. There was plenty of food, and I chose to indulge in the enormous ice pops that they had. I took one for the road, had one last spray down, and set forth up the "other" hardest hill on the course. I was still five long miles away from the finish.
I've had my fair share of difficult climbs over the years. I've tackled difficult hills at Run with the Devil, Escarpment, Virgil Crest, Georgia Death Race, etc. At 25 miles in, this mountain was among the hardest I had run. ~1,300 feet straight up hill over the about 1.2 miles. The heat was oppressive and each step was exhausting. I longed to be back at the aid station, getting soaked by water guns and enjoying suger-ice treats. About halfway up the climb, I spotted a rock that looked like a perfect break spot. I rested there, watching three other runners crawling up the hill a few minutes behind me. I decided to wait until they passed to keep going, and when they arrived, I latched on. I stayed with one gentleman for the remainder of the climb, cracking jokes and getting my spirits back up. Eventually, all three runners went on ahead and I was alone once again. I reached the top of this last mountain to the cheers of two burly men standing beside a pick-up truck with a jug of water. Another unmarked aid station, and like the last one, was well-timed. They informed me there were still about 3 technical miles left in the race, and to watch out for rattlesnakes, as the next section of trail traveled directly through a breeding ground.
Unsettled, I began my descent down the other side, which was as technical as they said it would be. My pace quickened as my eyes darted back and forth looking for snakes, my ears alert for the sound of rattles. I eventually arrived at the bottom of the mountain without seeing a single rattler, and made a left onto the double-wide. I could see a runner ahead in the distance and thought I might have a chance catching him. I began accelerating down to a 9-10 minute mile up the trail, which was gradually ascending. After a few moments lost in my own thoughts, I looked up and realized the runner had disappeared. I then noticed a right turn up ahead. Up I went again, with a view of the other runner just cresting the climb. Frustrated, I slowly made my way up until I was up on the ridge, the runner ahead firmly out of reach. The next couple miles were slow and blurry. There were several large-rock technical sections reminiscent of the Appalachian Trail near the NY/NJ state line. After what felt like another 2 miles, I finally began to make my final descent, lured in by the faint sounds of the finish line. Before I knew it, I was emerging from the woods, with the finish line in sight. A downpour started as I entered the home stretch, and crossed the line to the cheers of the crowd.
After the race, I spoke with Chris, who had come from behind and crossed the finish line in 1st place! It was great to catch up with him and talk about about how the race played out for each of us. Overall, I hoped to finish a bit faster but was happy with the experience in the new trails non-the-less. The sheer difficulty of the race makes it hard to commit to coming back, but I'm sure I'll be there eventually. It was an incredible event and one that I will not soon forget. Thank you for the support from all the race organizers and volunteers. I highly recommend this race for anyone looking for a challenging trail marathon in the northeast, or anyone who want to dip their toe into the Eastern States course.
Race Stats:
Finish Time - 7:24:20
Finish Place - 17th
Total Mileage - 30.4 Miles
No comments:
Post a Comment