Sunday, November 18, 2012

JFK 50

This weekend I ran my second JFK 50 Miler. The race which takes place every year the Saturday before Thanksgiving brings runners from Boonesboro, MD to Williamsport MD via the Appalachian Trail for 16.5 miles, The C&) Canal which you say many important spots in American History including Harpers Feery and Antietam, and finally for 8 miles through the country roads leading the Williamsport Middle School. This years race was a lot different than 2 years ago. My experience as a runner has changed, being a father and Stay at home dad has become the focal point of my life.

The race weekend started on Friday afternoon, I woke up and took Lucinda to the playground, then we headed to Fairway for some last minute race preparation. Picked up 2 cases of Six Point Beer, some Bananas and soy milk for Momma and Lucinda to make it through the two days without papa. Then we got ready for my aunt Sue who would baby sit Lucinda before Momma got home from work.

Melisa picked me up at 83rd and Broadway and we set for midtown to pickup Michael. Then we hit the road for Maryland, western MD near the West Virginia and Pennsylvania border. There wasn't too much traffic, but we learned from everyone else if we left any latter we would of hit a lot of traffic.

We arrived in Haggerstown around 6:15 hit the small little expo to pickup our race numbers and I checked in to the hotel. After  settling in we headed to the Olive Garden to meet Jacqueline Choi and a bunch of other people for a big table at Olive Garden. But Jackie was stuck in traffic, and everyone else would be late. But she told us to give olive Garden the name Marco Rodriguez and we would get a table. But the staff at Olive Garden had no clue what we were talking about. So we changed our mind and headed to the Kobe Hibachi place next to the tofu. This was a great plan. I had some avocado rolls and some Hibachi Tofu cooked in front of me. It was great time with Emmy, Karen, Michael, and Melissa.

Then I headed back to the hotel for bed. Decided to have a couple of my Bengali Tigers to help me go to sleep and watch the Knicks lose there first game of the season.

I set the alarm for 4:50, woke up and started to get my race day gear together. The big debate was whether to wear the CWX tights or CWX shorts with Compression sox. I went with the tights, after wearing them for 28 on NYC Marathon sunday and not being sore the next day thought they would e the best

I headed down to breakfast in the hotel with my stuff. Ran into Keila, Karen, Becky, Jackie in the lobby. With everyone getting ready to head to the race. I waited for Michael and Melissa to pick me up to head the Boonesboro, HS.

At the school we sat down to listen to Mike Spinnler gave the pre race briefing. He had all the military people stand up and all the people who had run the race 15 times. Then we got to the important stuff, were to pee. He said not pee 3 feet from the trial, but 30 feet from the trial. I had to tweet that since I thought it was kind of funny. Then I made the stupid decision, I decided it was time to poop. I got in the line and it took longer than planned. Then I forgot my phone in the bathroom and had to go back and get it. Then I forgot how long it took to get to the start and ended up being 2 minutes late to the start. But I had company, fresh off his Ironman Kona finish, was Larry Lewis of Brooklyn.

The 2.6 run up the Appalachian trail via the hilly roads of Boonesobro, seems like for forever. Then I hit the trial and that's when the fun started. I have developed a love of downhill trial running and get a kick out of it. I also am really slow hiking up hill. So I have a habit of passing people on the downhill and those same people passing me on the uphill. It's a back and forth cycle, which lasts a while. As the trail went on a ran into some people I knew. Ended up running with Becky Tsai for a while. I let her draft on me on the my downhill for a while. She latter flew past me at around mile 38.  Then as I got further down the trail right before the switchback ran into Jackie.

Then we hit the C&O canal, which would be my home for the next 26.3 miles. Long flat, scenic, and historic. It's a great run. But a lot of the same. It was fun, met a lot of people ran into some friends. Ran into Emmy then ran past her at the Harper's Ferry. Then further down I ran into Karen. Ran with Karen for around 11 miles or so.  That was fun, talked enjoyed the trial. Then she flew past me. I lost her after I took the picuture of the Run Faster I Just Farted sign. I started encountering some issues around mile 36. My speed slowed down. Stated doing some ultra shuffling a bit. Then Becky ran past me, then Emmy. I was counting down the miles till I wanted to get of the canal path. I wanted to be off the canal path so bad. Too much of the same over and over.

Finally I finished the Canal Path it was over, I received my orange reflective vest. Then I headed up the road. Started chatting with a marine and some other army guys. Then there was what I needed, a beer stand. I got a cup of Beer and it went down real well. I also ate my cliff protein bar. This gave me a new boast of energy. Then Jackie was running me down. I had the energy so I started pushing the pace with her for a couple of miles. But then my metatarsal started killing me. My super feet were fried, my Brooks Cascadias were fried. I decided to fire my superfeet, took them out of my shoes and threw them out with with 4 miles to go. I kept slugging the miles out, got in my shuffle stance and pushed through to the finish. I As I passed the tattoo parlor with less then I mile to go I started pushing towards the finish.

As I ran toward the finish line, I looked up and realized I finished. According to my watch it was 10:54, the clock said 10:56,  a little over 1 hour and 5 minutes slower than 2 years ago. But under 11 hours, and still respectable. I received my medal, and went into the Middle School for the post race festivities. Had some Mo's Burritos and hung out with people, took pictures and then we headed back to the Boonesoboro on the school bus.

On arrival back in Haggerstown a the hotel, I opened my Bengali Tiger and took a shower. Then I looked downstairs at the JFK post race party. It didn't look too exciting, but then I headed down when I saw Karen. I talked with her for a bit, then I met Micahel and Melissa for some dinner at a pizza place across the street. Then we headed back to the party. At the party we ran into Glenn Redpath who introduced us to the Ian Sherman (holder of the fastest trail ultra marathon time in North America 12:44) Glenn and I were on the same page, the hotel was providing us free Michelob Ultra Light and as everyone knows ultra runners don't drink shitty beer. Glenn had his Lagunitas and I had my Six Point Bengali Tiger. I ran up to grab a couple more can's and enjoyed the good beer and good conversation with Glenn, Ian, Karen and few other people at the bar. Then the bar manager showed us a letter from the state of Maryland about bringing outside beverages into a bar. We laughed it off, since he was the same guy who gave us cups to poor our beer in. Glenn told some good stories, Ian told us how he can never catch Max King (Max was the winner and broke the course record). Then it was time for bed and the end of the JFK 50 weekend.













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