Posted 5/30/2010 5:15 PM EDT
A great day, indeed!
I got up at 5 am sharp. It was no trouble. I was eager to go. I believe in routines so I had my usual breakfast: Blueberries and FiberOne with Activia Light yogurt and a few mixed nuts tossed in. That and some tea and I was ready to roll.
We (my poor wife has to get up early to be our chauffeur) picked up my brother & relay partner and put some of that old-time rock & roll on the radio to help us stay jazzed and headed to Burlington all the while talking ourselves into giving it all.
Getting there early paid off with a nice parking spot on Cherry St. but there were already hundreds (if not thousands) doing their pre-race thing when we got there. I suspect, that like me, they love the whole ritual and feed off each other. It's an important part of the race for me as I meet friends and acquaintances and trade well wishes.
Today's pre-race was especially rewarding for me. As we walked through Battery Park, I was greeted by a reader! David ( I hope my memory is serving me well after all I've been through today) and his wife recognized me and stopped me to say hello. It really made my day. I am very grateful. I hope your race went well.
I had some nice conversations in the crowd (aren't runners are the nicest people?) as we waited for the race to begin. Then, we were off. Oh, how I wished I had started closer to the front. It felt like minutes getting to the starting line and then I couldn't break loose. Up Pearl and S. Willard were much the same. Mile one said 8:31 as I passed and I knew I had some work to do in order to hold up my end of the relay.
I found a little space on Church for some passing but, back on Pearl they corralled us and I was again hobbled. Finally, we hit the beltway and it opened up. If I had a dollar for everyone I passed on the beltway I could fly my wife & I to California and back! Coming back up the hill after the U-Turn really motivated me. Instead of focusing on the hill, I dedicated myself to passing people, knowing it would level off at Park and I'd be able to recover.
By the time we turned back onto Pearl St. for the 3rd time I was breathing normal again and settled into my home stretch stride. I took water at every station save one (I should have taken there too but I was busy passing.) I think that tactic paid off for the lactic acid seemed to ease a bit each time I walked in order to drink. 15 seconds for water will be standard for me from now on.
At about mile 11 the fatigue started but I could smell the finish line and, as I had for much of the race, I thought about my brother and teammate waiting for me. The last two hills were tough but the nearness of finish helped me endure and I had a bit of a kick entering the exchange area.
I don't think I was this happy to see my brother on the day he was born! We made the exchange and I grabbed and apple and a water, found my stuff and started the long walk up the hill to the finish. Tired but nearly satisfied. I wasn't sure of my time because I wasn't sure of the length of delay getting to to the starting line. My watch said 1:41 when I made my hand off. I was a tad disappointed because I was shooting for 1:40. I was sure I had put some pressure on him.
The walk up (no buses for me; I love the crowds and watching the other racers.) was really fun. I enjoyed lots of exchanges with spectators and racers who saw my medal and bib. When I got to the park I was excited to see how big and lively the crowds were. I grabbed some food, found our wives and started the clock watch. I love the excitement at the finish line.
As the minutes clicked off and the clock approached our target, 3:30, my normally sluggish pulse accelerated. Then, suddenly, sporting his new headband and looking tired but still running very well, my partner came into view and I nearly lost it. He was under the target. We had done it. I was so proud of him. (Did you ever know that you're my hero?) Under pressure to run a best ever time, you came through! What a race! All the preparation paid off. Oh how great it feels. And to think that thousands of others are experiencing a similar kind of excitement. What a great sport.
Yes, we celebrated with a beer and began talking about our next adventure. But, this is day we'll cherish for a long, long time.
Here are our results: As you can see my time was better than I originally thought. There must have been more time than I realized before I got to the start. Also, in my fatigue, I hadn't realized that I crossed the halfway mark well before I made the exchange. So, we both had good races and improved times over our last 1/2 marathon race at Leaf Peepers last fall.
| Place | 11 |
| Team Name | The Scarecrow & The Cadaver |
| City | St. Albans |
| State | Vt. |
| Halfway Time | 1:35:31 |
| Net Time | 3:23:47 |
| Gun Time | 3:29:14 |
| Division | Two Person Men's Masters |
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