| Course Map |
In any case, Maria is injured so it's Mike, Jamey and me. Mike was signed up for the Marathon. He has to get up early on Monday morning to go to work. It was a toss up tho whether we sleep in PA the night before or drive day off. I'm trying to save $$ and to not be away, so I kinda wanted the drive day off option but I let Jamey decide. Raina allegedly was shooting invisible daggers at the thought of a sleep over so he wanted drive day off as well. We did. Caravan it as Mike was doing the Marathon while we were gonna stay on the course for longer. I was hoping Mike would do the 40 miler with us. He can sit in the car instead of driving and rest. He had a tough week and his GI system was in distress. That's code for Diarahee and Vomitting for 3-4 days before the race. Awesome.
The website for it was kinda lacking. It had a course map but no elevation map. Sucks. Also, I apparently didn't understand the course but more on that later.
We decided to leave Bellerose at 3:30 and drive without worry to the race. I set the primary alarm for 1am and the backup for 1:15am. I went to sleep and then woke up, glancing at the clock across the room. It said 2:48!!! Oh My God!!! I freaked out. I have been known to turn the primary alarm off before it even goes but the secondary too? Then I realized what happened. The clock moved and the first digit was obscured. It actually said 12:48! Awesome. Slept another 10 minutes and then got up. Mike as usual got lost but we were on our way soon enough.
I spent 1/2 the ride with Mike just talking and the second 1/2 with Jamey. Lucky for Mike, he was following Jamey who does NOT speed. We passed a cop in wait.
We get to race site and it's cold. I'm not sure what to wear. I brought my compression shorts and then could either go with (from coldest to warmest) tights and outer pants, tights and basketball shorts or just basketball shorts. Hm... Decisions decisions. Jamey and Mike were going to wear shorts. Peer pressure...
We all visited the porta-potties to relieve the pressure. I saw and said hi to stephen Bandwild (SP?) who I met at TGNY. He also has Reynauds but was wearing shorts today. I recognized him by his usual loud as hell shirt. I also saw Keith Straw who was NOT wearing his usual pink tutuu. I reminded him we met at 2 Rivers and that I told him that Sunday was real cold. He told me he ran 3 miles that day and was considering heading right back to the start. Wow...
Meanwhile Mike started his feeding. He bought a huge 18+ inch bagette and made himself a sandwich. This had Chicken and tons of pickled jalapeņo and other stuff. Who does that right before a race especially after having GI issues?!? Answer: Mike!
We hung out in the car and eventually greeted Elaine Acosta. I finally met Tom O'Reilly who Mike likes to call George Clooney. Nice guy.
Time to line up. We actually went off on time without too much of fanfare. We started right next to another Maniac who was wearing a red kilt named Sam.
The races: There were 3 of them. At 8am, the 40 miles started. We were doing 2 loops of 20 miles. At 8:30am, the marathoners started. They were doing the same 20 mile loop we were doing but with an extra 10K in the middle. At 9am, the 20 milers started. The 20 mile loop basically looked like a lollipop. There was an out and back section and at the far end you do a circle loop. Hm...The race website mentioned a total of 2,100 feet of elevation. All the race reports, I read mentioned that the total was more like 41 miles and 4,000 feet of elevation. I wonder...
We start on a road to get to the trails. My calves are on fire again. I don't know what's going on there. A lot of the field disappears on us. I tell Jamey that I think we are the back. We run and eventually catch up to Sam. Nice conversation. He's done this one last year and is familiar with the course. We also talk to a guy named Mike but eventually drop him. I'm not sure what's the deal with Sam and whether he wants to stay with us or not but he's there. At the aid stations, I grab some coke and some boiled potatoes. Sometimes an orange too. By the way, Sam thinks we are not the back and that there are others behind us.
The first aid station is after you leave the trail and get on a road. From the aid station, you make a U-Turn and this time go on the other side of the guard rail right back into the trails. The second aid station again is on a road. There you need to think a little. If you are doing the 20 or the 40, you cross the street and run with traffic and then into the trails. If you are doing the Marathon, you stay on the left side against traffic for that extra 10K loop. Eventually you get back here and then continue with the 20 mile loop going initially with traffic on the other side of the road.
The second aid station, by the way is the far end of the out and back and now you go do the circle loop. This part of the course is the HARDEST part of the race. It doesn't start that way though. It's just trails, no biggie. You're climbing but it's gradual and you don't realize it. You don't realize it until you get to the very top. Sam kept mentioning this really big hill and I thought he was exaggerating. And, then... there it was. We had to go down a mountain (not hill), cross the gorge and then climb the other side of the mountain (not hill). Once the climb is over and your legs are on fire, you then had to fly down the mountain (not hill) again on the other side. A little after that, there was another aid station and from there we use the road to get to the other side of the lake. There were small streams and bridges to cross and here was another bridge. For now, I'll call this the wobbley bridge.
From there you continue to finish the loop of the loolipop to get back to the 2nd aid station which was at the far end of the out and back "stick" section. From there to the first aid station and then back to the start/finish.
Hopefully, I explained the course well enough. Perhaps with the aid of the map, you'll understand.
First loop, as I mentioned, Sam was sorta with us. Leap frog a little with him. At one point it was obvious he was sticking with us. He's a nice guy. He's done 3 100 milers. Twice he did Eastern States with 21K Elevation if I remember what he said (36 hours) and Hard Rock in Wyoming I think. The first loop he and I pulled tho in truth, it was mostly him.
We talked about a lot of different things. In October, he will finish his 50 states at Delware with a Marathon and a party.
At the Gorge, we all ended up using the port-a-tree and he was demonstrating the ease and wonder of a kilt. Whereas I had 3 pairs of pants to navigate, his "journey" was much simpler. At this point, a guy with a blue kilt passed us. The hat he was wearing vaught my attention and I raced after him. He was wearing the Pistol Ultra hat and his name was Atlee. Very nice, reserved guy. Talked a few about the pistol ultra.
Anyway, at one point, the four of us ran together. Sam and me in the front while Jamey and Atlee in the back. Being the curious chap that I am and that I have a big mouth, I decided to ask about the significance of the color and design of the kilts. Sam was blue with 1 design while Atlee's was blue with a different design. Here's how the conversation went:
Me: Excuse my ignorance, but is there a significance to the color and design of the kilt? Sam: I'm wearing a kilt! He's wearing a skirt! Me: What's the difference? Sam: Are you going commando (to Atlee)? Atlee: I'm wearing underwear. Sam: He's wearing a skirt. Me: And you (without thinking)...?This is when Sam sprinted a little ahead of us and hiked up his not running skirt but rather kilt. Thank God, I was a little to the right and back so all I saw was right upper thigh. Thank God!!!
That being said, we ran and eventually dropped Atlee.
After the big down, huge up and big down and the aid station we did come to another bridge crossing. No biggie until I get on it. It was a bouncy bridge and we didn't expect it and it was scary. Minor correction: Sam knew about it. You could have said something dude!!!
The 3 of us started seeing Tom on/off. Eventually catching him at aid stations. He left while we refueled. Eventually we caught him during a run and he stayed with us. I was in the front with him and we talked. He was a little concerned that we haven't seen Elaine but wasn't worried. We eventually did see her at I thought was the last biggish hill before the turn around. It was probably 1-2 miles to the end. We got to the end and refueled. They didn't have coke (phooey) but the kid there offered to get me a potato pancake from the finish line. Nah...Thanks anyway dude.
Sam completly disappeared on us. Tom needed a few and told Jamey and me to go. On we went. I left a message with a volunteer telling a red kilt dude that we just started and are waiting for him. On we go. I'm trying to keep track of the approximate location of the hills as guides to what we will see on the way back.
We go down a big hill and as I look back, I could swear I see a flash of red. I have real good eyesight so I scream Sam's name. No response but I trust my senses. There it goes again. It took about 5-10 minutes but Sam and Tom caught up and we stayed together.
For the most part, it was Tom and me in the front with Sam and Jamey in the rear. Sam was weezeing badly. His asthma. By the way, first loop he told us he was using his Heart Rate Monitor to keep his heart under a certain number which helped him a lot. He at one point turned it off. Now, he was just wheezeing and it was alarming.
We got to the first aid station and left. I was unsure how I felt about not seeing Mike at all. Does that mean he is kicking butt? Does that mean he is hurting? What does it mean? Well 8 minutes after the first aid station, we saw Mike. Cool. Stopped to see how he's doing. Not well. He already threw up 7 times on the trail. Wonderful. Still, he's alive and kicking so that's good news.
At one point we see a guy running very very fast with hiking poles in his hands. Hm... We also see a guy dressed as the pope in full regale. He had the pointed conehead hat and long billowing robes. How the hell did he run with those on the trail?
We get to the second aid station. Jamey isn't looking that great anymore. He told me that around mile 30 is when he couldn't eat anymore. His face was all caked with salt and as I said, he just couldn't eat.
We left the 2nd aid station for the pop part of the lolli-pop. Down we went and Tom and Sam went harder than Jamey and me. Up we went. Down we went and again Tom and Sam went at it. We all regrouped and ran. Tom and I were up ahead by about 15 feet, when we saw a female ahead of us way ahead. Suddenly we heard a female voice from right in back of us say "Ponytail..." and with that a female suddenly sprinted to catch her. It took her a while but at the aid station they were together. That aid station, after the mountain, had beer and Sam carbed up a little. We left there and got to the bouncy bridge. Right after it, Jamey threw up a little. This is a detail that apparently he forgot to tell his wife when recounting his story.
All hills at this point sucked. No easier way to say it.
We were climbing when a young female and an older dude caught us. Being me, I asked them when is this 5K going to be finished and the girl looked at me in shock. The older dude was also in shock. They were both about to say something, when I admitted that I was just joking. It was obvious that I got them. I never get anyone. I enjoyed it.
By the way, Tom explained to me (I'm such a curious guy) why he's known as dragon and Elaine as ninja. I always wondered... Turns out he's got a dragon tattoo. Her story is a little more complicated. Apparently he was running once and out of the blue, scared the wits out of him when she came out of nowhere, making no noise and passed him. He asked her if she was a ninja.
Anyway, we are done with the pop. The aid station ran out of coke. Very sad. Ran out of some food too. They also rinsed some cups. I don't think so. They offered me a washed pickle bottle to drink out of. I don't think so. I took a bottle and drank out of it without putting my lips to it. We left. We all knew we had officially a 10K to go tho in reality, this course is 41+ miles instead of 40 so that was annoying. We continue on. Got to the next aid station. I asked for a coke. They only had 6 cups left and I was told to grab them or they will be gone. I told the volunteer to move and I rushed it. Ok - he knew I was joking. I wasn't being a jerk. That soda was flat and disgusting by the way. We continueed on.
No more aid stations...
About 3 miles from the finish and we get to a black woman who was a little overweight. I figured she was doing the 20 miler but it turns out she was doing the Marathon. Amazing. Not only she did this course and it wasn't easy, she was also alone the whole time. That must have really sucked.
We are all cooked and just want to get this over with. Finally we emerge from the trail and I call Jamey to me. We leave Tom and Sam. I sprint to the finish. Jamey finished a little behind me. Tom and Sam come up together.
No finishers medal but we did get a finishers award which was a bottle opener with the words "Naked Bavarian" on it attached to a lanyard.
Jamey can't eat so he went to rest in the car. I grab some pasta with vegeterian sauce and a potato pancake. This German chef sure can make latkas. Well I grabbed seconds too. Food was really good. Jamey apparently brought me a coke to Albany and forgot to give it to me so fully gassed coke was so good...
We eventually leave. Jamey dropped me off at 9pm and I started a wash and ate a little. Elizabeth and Jessie went up to sleep and I stayed downstairs with Jeremy. I was waiting for the wash and I wanted to eat a little more.
At 11pm, Jeremy convinced me to go to sleep. Actually a compliment was given. His exact words were: "You got up at 1am, ran 41+ miles, are awake for 22 hours and you aren't tired at all?!? You're a beast!". Awesome...
Well, Monday I stayed home. Jessie had off tho she ended up going to a friend. I chilled with the dog. Jeremy had his first tennis practice of the season so instead of running in the morning, I was gonna run to Cunningham which would be about 4 miles. Now, I sent an email to Lisa, 2nd job boss, that I would be avail to cover a shift the next Saturday which she replied was a teaching shift and asked if I am ready for it. I told her that I would need a crash course. She asked if I was avail to help out in a class. Well, since I was home anyway, I said yes so I ended running to the ymca (about a mile), helped teach a class then ran 3 miles to Cunningham. Awesome. We got pizza on the way home and called it a day. It was a good day...
Now, I'm gonna say something here which was weird. I am NOT trying to say anything or imply anything. Before the first loop finished, Atlee left before us at the last aid station. When we were almost finished with the first loop, he was already going out again. He was about 1.5 miles ahead of us. That was strange. Either he did some serious negative splits or perhaps he got lost and cut the course by accident. I don't know and I won't guess. He finished more than an hour ahead of us. It was strange. I give him the benefit of the doubt.
