Vermont Marathon

Yesterday was the most fun I have ever had running. I ran my race exactly as I wanted to. The crowd support was unreal. The initial weather predictions looked like I would be practicing Bikram Marathoning; but it ended up being good running weather. I accomplished many of my goals: run the entire time, finish with a smile, and finish under 4 hours – a personal record of 3:57:09.

My plan was to show restraint early on in preparation for the large Battery Park hill on the 15^th mile. From there, I knew I would have to dig deep to persevere through some painful miles. At mile 21 or 22 the turn is made to head back toward the finish line, and I knew I would have to dig even deeper and feed on the energy of the supporters to get to the finish line.

Somehow everything worked out leading to the start line. All the random knee and foot pains which had been springing up during the last two weeks were gone. I felt fresh. While waiting in the crowd of people to begin, I was overcome with emotion. The combination of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation is unlike anything else. The hard part, the training, was done. Now it was time to enjoy the race.

The countdown quickly went from ten down to one, and we were off. The first mile was through the center of Burlington, with people packed four or five deep on either side. The screams, cheers, and cowbells had me in a bit of a daze. Much of that first mile was uphill, with about 100 total feet of elevation climb. I hit the first mile split in 9:22. I was easing into my pace, showing restraint. Miles 2 through 4 were much more downhill as we looped back through the center of town. Again, it was tough to not get swept up in the adrenaline of the crowd noise.

Miles 4 through 9 was an out and back route; a long downhill heading out and a long uphill coming back. I was anticipating the large hill at 15 to be the most difficult, so I had overlooked this portion. There was over 100 feet of elevation climb steadily over miles 7 and 8. The sun peaked out at that time, making it even warmer. As I checked my pace I decided to slow down a little. I was up to running 8:30’s, so I peeled it back a tad and made sure to keep hydrating.

I hit mile 10 at 1:26; or 8:40/mi. That was exactly the pace I wanted. I felt good and strong. The next few miles were along a bike trail, and I spaced out as I was thinking about the Battery Park hill. My pace at the half marathon was 8:44/mi, so I had slowed a tad. I was happy with my pace, and I was having fun.

Finally, I saw the hill. To say this hill looked steep is an understatement. Only one side of the road was open for runners, and the crowd was packed in tight on either side. There was a drumming group playing and people were cheering and ringing cowbells like crazy. I see Krystle at the bottom, she screams my name and my spirits were immediately lifted. “How are you doing!?” she yells out – to which I replied with a thumbs up. I can tell she is excited. The next time I see her will be at the finish. I actually needed to make an effort to not run too fast up the hill. It was amazing how much the crowd can pump you up. That hill was actually fun, and I was feeling great at the top.

The next few miles were a mix of different residential streets and neighborhoods. I continued to take in fluids as I walked through each water station, but by mile 17 or 18 my stomach didn’t want any more sugary Gels, Shot blocks, or snickers. I had been snacking every 2 miles up to that point, so I figured that would be enough. Since my walks through the water stations were slightly longer – as I would take and drink a water, then a Gatorade, then sometimes dump some water over my head – my pace slowed. Through 20 miles I was at 8:50/mi. Not bad considering 10 seconds of every mile was stopping and walking to drink fluids. I was still running strong.

As I hit mile 21 and 22, I knew it was time to really dig deep. My legs were a kind of tired that’s not only hard to explain, but hard to picture or remember until you’re there. All you want to do is have the pain stop. Running doesn’t help, but neither does walking. Walking just means you endure the pain longer; running gets you to the finish line faster. I was trying to keep the pace up, but I could feel cramps coming on. My stride was short, and my pace was around 9:20/mi. I was happy with that. Miles 23 through 25 seemed to drag on forever. I passed a lot of people who were walking. I saw a lot of people stretching out cramps on the side of the road. I felt lucky, so I pressed on.

Then I saw it. I saw the mass of people waiting to give the runners the emotional lift they need to finish strong. From mile 21 to the finish, we were running on a bike path near Lake Champlain. As we came up on mile 26, we enter Battery Park. There were so many people on either side of the 8 foot wide path. They were cheering, ringing bells, calling us out by number or clothing, slapping high fives – anything to get us pumped up. It was an unreal feeling. I started going as fast as I could – though my stride was likely awkward as I continued to fight off the cramps. We pass the mile 26 marker, and then go under a bridge filled with people. We turn and I can see the finish line. The people are cheering so loud I can’t even hear the announcer calling out our names. I cross under the finish line, and I check the clock and my watch - I did it – 3:57:09, under four hours. I see Krystle, and I can see the excitement in her face. She gets a sweaty kiss, and says “You did it!”

Its strange how at that point, the last 3 hours and 57 minutes seems like a blur. I know as time goes on I stop and think more about different stages of the race, and how I felt. I feel more tired and exhausted than I ever have in my life. At the same time, I have a feeling of pure happiness that is tough to match (don’t worry Krys, definitely second to our wedding day). There are few things in life, or at least in my life, that require so much preparation and all come down to one specific opportunity to achieve your goal. The day is overwhelming with different emotions, and I love it. This is why I run.

We spent the night celebrating in Burlington, taking in food, drinks, and the beautiful scenery; it was the perfect end to a perfect weekend.