I've been up to Nipmuck for two runs: the 12 mile Southern leg with Jeff W., which we did several weeks ago, and the 4 out/back 8 mile run I did this past Wednesday. So 20 of the 26 miles...
Jeff picked me up at 6 and we drove straight to Nipmuck, got signed in and got our numbers (and Nipmuck buffs!), and ran into Seth A, Mike K, and and a few other familiar faces. After the pre-race instructions, we walked a hundred yards or so down the road to the start line, and off we went! I felt great on the first twelve miles - I'd already done it in 2:15 with Jeff, and knew what to expect. I'm running a 12:20 pace, my goal, and at mile 4, who comes blasting by me in third place? Jeff, at 8 miles already and cruising...very cool! At the first turnaround, I'm in 93rd place, right where I expected to be. And everybody on the course, from volunteers to runners, are offering words of encouragement the entire race, including the guys in the lead. You never see that...I finish the 12 miles and get back to the start in 2:30-ish, quickly get to my bag and dry off, fuel up and change shirts.
The back 14 did not go as smooth. miles 13-16 were fine - I'd done those before as well, and got through them no problem. The three miles before the final turnaround? Brutal, much more difficult, hilly and technical than anything else on the course, especially the big hill and stairs at the turnaround. When I got there, I was already feeling pretty fatigued, but with 7 miles to go, I figured I'd walk when I needed to, run as much as I could, and get there when I got there. I was in 90th at this point. Several people had already dropped out, two from injuries. My pace kept ticking higher, but past the 20 mile mark, I did what I could, and got there!!! Crossed the line in 6:15, good for 93rd place overall. 150 registered, 130 started the race, 12 dropped out so there were 118 finishers. My first marathon complete, and a good physical test. Jeff came in 5th overall (What the???), Seth came in 13th, and Mike K came in 70th, which was awesome considering he'd been very busy getting his business up and running. Hell, anyone that finishes that race gets huge respect from me, and the people at Shenipsit and all of the volunteers deserve a big thanks, it was a great event (never seen such well stocked aid stations, either!) and I'll definitely be back next year. Here's a couple of pictures from before and after:
Pre-race Instruction
Race Director Clint
Before the Race
At the Finish
Sticker on the Bib for the Newbies
Will be taking today off and eating like there's no tomorrow...
Congrats, Mike! 6 hours shows AMAZING stamina. I couldn't handle grinding out sh*t for that long--I would've quit after 4 or so. Good job. And for a FIRST marathon you chose THIS?!?! You're insane!! :)
ReplyDeletePS-snazzy singlet you're rocking in the finish photo.
Thanks! I'm actually feeling pretty good this afternoon, if I get faster I won't have to be out there that long, right? Yeah, probably should have picked a "regular" marathon, but what the Hell, you only live once and now I have a time to improve on! Congrats on your run, by the way, I heard from a reliable source that there may have been a PR? Looked up your result, you killed it!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the singlet, but I needed like 5 sweaters after the race, I was freezing :)
Great job and persistence, Mike! I do have to second Muddy in questioning your sanity of choosing this for a first marathon, but man, I give you lots of credit - you hung with it and finished solid, smiling even! That 3 mile northern-most section was brutal and soul-crushing. Way to hang in there - CONGRATS!
ReplyDeleteThanks, and you too! For a "Not a Trail Runner" runner, your result was awesome - I'm sure that Clint and the rest of the Striders would be rethinking that orange sticker for you...just about to do some online recon for Bimbler's...then running tomorrow, soreness is gone and I'm ready to go, can't wait for the next 5K race (FOP), I should destroy my PR at that :)
ReplyDelete