| Course Map | Marathon history |
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I guess the end-all was the fact that we need miles for 2016 and it was either this one or Central Park. I already did the Central Park Marathon and I'm really not a fan of CP. Also, I was afraid they would potentialy cancel like last year due to weather. They actually cancelled at gun time. You had runners show up from all over, including non-locals, only to be told "sorry... You can have the medal tho...". Hm... Luckily I wasn't signed up for it last year. Michael & Maria were and they weren't too happy. I knew this race in Albany wouldn't get cancelled. Did I mention it was cheap? Even with Gas and Tolls, it was still cheaper...
So Jamey and I signed up for a Marathon on Valentine's day. Elizabeth wanted to go to the Tax Accountant that day. She decided to still go.
A few days before the race, we got "the" email. They were forcasting some real bad temps for race weekend, especially race day. I mean real bad. The worry was for the volunteers. They figured the runners would warm up were as the volunteers would suffer if they even did show up. They specifically said that 30 minutes of exposure equals frostbite. Of course for me all that is nonesense. I would be the first to get frostbite but I get it. We need those volunteers and I completly understand. This race was postponed a week to the day of the Central Park Marathon which actually meant that some registered runners weren't going to be there. Oh well.
So, Valentine's day was at the tax accountant followed by finishing up those nasty college financial aid forms. Yay.
Jamey and I did run local that weekend. We did 12 on Saturday and 7 on Sunday. The weather on Sunday was "-1F" with a wind chill somewhere between -15 and -20. Both days had the beginning of frostbite.
Jamey picked me up and we flew down. Made good time. Got there right before 8am. Indoor plumbing (yay) and checked in. Back to the car to decide (finally) what to wear. By the way, I'm now starving. I ate something on the way to the race but breakfast was way early and I'm hungry. Jamey had some pretzel nuggets filled with peanut butter so I had a few.
By the way, while we were there, we spoke to some guy about the course. He showed us the map. Told us it was completly flat and we were expecting great weather with no wind. More on that later...
Cars slowly trickling in.
We saw one guy walk by (he didn't see us), stop and grimace painfully, then touch his butt and sniff. Oh boy... Later I saw him wearing shorts. I hope I was wrong about what I saw and what I think happened.
Eventually, we went back inside. More people now. Indoor plumbing again. Jamey made friends with a guy named Larry who was doing his first Marathon. Signed up last minute. Apparently this race is all about last minute registrations.
A little more about the course. Basically it's 5 loops with the first loop having a little extra to get the distance in. Each loop is run in the campus in the "inner" loop and the "outer" loop. Take a look at the map to try to understand. In any case, it's also a 5 hour course. In truth, 5 hours shouldn't be a problem for me but I don't like a noose on my head. What if you have a GI issue or any issue for that matter. I hated that with Yonkers and those damn hills and wasn't really feeling the love here either.
Anyway, as we are talking to Larry, I notice someone wearing a Beast of Burden shirt. What?!? It's Gary Thompson. Awesome. Dude got up at 3am to drive 4.5 hours by himself to do this race. Jeez. We start talking and reminiscing. Meanwhile, a guy named Ben comes over. He also notices the shirt. Now we are all talking. He wants to do the 50Miler.
We eventually line up outside. Jamey makes another friend. A female runner who we eventually realize is only doing the relay. How we realize will be for later.
We start. It's on/off cold. All wind dependent. There really aren't that many of us out here. Initially they said 22 runners and 15 relays but last minute registrations did come in. We are more than that but still a small number.
Our group stays together. It's Gary and me in the front and Jamey, Ben and female runner in back. Just chillin.
The course is a little confusing in that it's kinda meandering but that's ok. Very little spectators. There's one aid station on the course and one near the finish where we turn around.
We dropped the female runner. No one knows when we did it. Oh well. Hope she's ok. We never see Larry but that's ok too. Very spread out.
The flat course has 2 hills. They aren't bad per se but the headwind makes them annoying. That becomes our mantra. The flat and no wind course... We slightly warm up and then right into a cold wind. Yuck.
I'm suprised we are still together. Still, misery loves company and we are having fun.
Gary shares with us that he enjoys not caring about time but that he did once get into Boston. His secret: Catch your wife cheating - get depressed - get angry - lose 35 pounds - run hard. His time was 3:15 I think. Wow. He does say that he doesn't recommend this option.
Ben is in the Navy and won't get deployed since the Navy taught him how to take care of nuclear reactors. He's in school again now. He's gonna continue with the Navy and eventually transfer his GI Bill (College) to his baby girl. Wow.
The loops are slowly but surely getting done. Some of the volunteers disappear on us. The aid station on the course is now replaced by a mom and her 3 daughters who are in Costume. Gary snaps a selfie with them and one of the girls makes a funny face. Awesome.
Every loop, we see a runner in green. She's running well. She's always in front but unreachable. I know that even if she stays that way, at the end I will catch her. That's my plan.
A car drives by us, honking and screaming. It's Jamey's female friend. She finished her part of the relay. Cool.
One last loop to go. I am beyond starving and I can smell burgers. Not happy now.
We finally catch up to green girl or simply Shannon. She's hurting and can't run. Walking is painful with her knee. Still, she decides to join us and with all the joking around and the other BS, she manages to keep the pace. She really needed the boost. She now has it.
Finally we enter the campus area close to the track which means close to the finish. I take off. I know Jamey will follow. I hear footsteps. It's Gary. Cool. He catches up to me and we run HARD to the finish. Awesome. Jamey follows and then Shannon and Ben. Hugs all around.
Not too much food out here. Sucks. We go inside to find this amazing 3 bean vegan chilli. Normally vegan doesn't really do anything for me but this concoction was amazing. I have 2 huge cups.
Awesome news alert: Jamey got a 31 minute PR. None for me but that's ok. I had fun.
I had intentions of going to Krav Maga. Brought my gear along but I realized during the drive home that I am very much chafed as usual. I nixed that idea. When I got home, I had to peel my shirt off of me. It was stuck. I was a mess.
It is what it is and I am blessed with my chafing abilities. My back was a mess. I actually had welts all over it. I also had a huge blister on my toe. Lanced it and the thing thought it was a geyser just spraying out. I also had something new... I got a burn, skin actually blistered, from the chemical hand warmers in my gloves. That was awesome too.
The shower was anything but pleasant. I wanted to scream but I couldn't. Didn't want Elizabeth to start with "is it worth it?". The next morning, I did not swim. I did do my run and it hurt like hell with my back. I also discovered I had 2 more blisters so I took care of those as well.
Tuesday, Elizabeth remarked how it's interesting that I get so badly chafed yet heal from them very fast. The welts seemed so much better. Wednesday, Kathy at the pool remarked that I spoke like it was worse. Ha!!! Try going to sleep on them... Elizabeth also remarked that she usually doesn't get chafed but one time she did and it took 6 months to go away. Oh well. My super power...