After running the NYC Marathon in November, I seemed to have come under the force of a serious marathon jinx that started when I skipped the Marshall University Marathon the weekend after NYC. I was simply too fatigued from NYC to make another race so soon. In December, winter weather prevented me from wanting to make the trek to the Rehoboth Beach Marathon. I mean, who really wants to get stuck in an airport on the east coast when the ice hits? In January, well rested after not having run a full in two months, I missed the Louisiana Marathon when I came down with a horrid cold late in the week prior to the race. Knowing I had work travel coming up, I decided to stay home and rest by running the Battle of the Bean 5K instead. By the time the end of February rolled around, I was pumped for the Georgia Marathon in March. My hopes of running the Georgia Marathon were dashed the day I opened my mailbox to see a neon orange juror summons on top of my stack of mail. I was inconveniently summonsed to report for jury duty the day after the Georgia Marathon. Fearful I wouldn't make it back in time to report to court, I canceled my trip to Atlanta, reported for jury duty, and found out within 5 minutes that my court case had settled out of court late on Sunday night. Awesome. Next up my bad marathon juju served up a bad infection so I was prescribed antibiotics that wiped my digestive system clean of any and all happy little digestive bacteria. After suffering for almost four weeks from GI distress caused by the antibiotics, and starting a special glucose free, fructose free, lactose free diet, I managed to run a local marathon in Olathe: the Garmin Marathon. I felt horrible almost the entire time, but I finished. While I finally felt like I beat the marathon jinx, it took me four more weeks to overcome the side effects of the antibiotics.
That's quite the explanatory build up to the Vermont City Marathon, isn't it? When Galen and I left for Burlington, Vermont (me 12 pounds lighter and still not feeling swell) I hadn't been so anxious about running a marathon since my first marathons. The forecast in Burlington was calling for a warm day and there was a chance for severe thunderstorms, the course is ridiculously hilly, and I was trying new fructose free running supplements (Clif Shot Blocks, and Clif Energy Gel). After all of the stress associated with marathoning for the prior 6 months, the Vermont City Marathon ended up being the perfect reward. It was a marathon that ended up becoming my 3rd favorite marathon that I've run so far. (Disney is #1 and Twin Cities is #2, if you are curious.)
What makes this marathon so special? The people and the scenery.
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| With Galen at the starting line |
We stayed at the Hilton on Battery Street, so on race day we were able to take a short walk up the hill to the starting line at Battery Park. Temperatures were in the mid to upper 50s and a misty fog had rolled in over Lake Champlain. Galen and I had scoped Battery Park out the evening before and were happy we knew about a second bank of port-a-potties further away from the more popular port-a-potty area, so we didn't have to stand in the ludicrous lines. After our pit stop, we made our way to the starting line and only had to wait about 20 minutes for the race to start.
The marathon featured a marathon relay, with the relay runners starting with the marathoners. This made for an overly crowded first few miles. Miles 1 and 2 are down tree-lined residential streets. During these miles, I really had to focus on where I was running and pay attention not to run into cars parked along the sides of the street. During Mile 3, I turned and ran up the Marketplace on Church Street. The people of Burlington were out in full force: including a gaggle of what I thought were strange looking women and then quickly realized they were drag queens out to cheer on the runners.
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| Running down Church Street |
After the excitement on Church Street, runners left the downtown Burlington area, passing back underneath the starting line, for a long, unshaded out and back on the Northern Connector, which is basically a highway. The only time Burlington shuts the highway down is for the marathon. It's a nice fun fact, but it didn't really make this part of the course fun. The course is downhill from Miles 4 to 6, with a rather long climb back up to downtown Burlington. It was during this part of the course that I "ran" into Elizabeth, a former Runner's Edger that had moved to NYC. I chatted with her for about 0.5 mile until I needed to take a walk break.
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| Views from Mile 14 |
Reaching the top of the hill after Mile 8, I was delighted to hear the cheers of throngs of people after returning to downtown Burlington. I ran over the starting line once again and then retraced my steps, running down Church Street, confirming that those were indeed drag queens that I had seen before on the run up Church Street. After leaving Church Street, I headed out to Mile 13 toward Burlington's South End, where the course turned runners back toward downtown. When I reached the bottom of Church Street, I heard drum beats from a few streets over and started to feel this extreme feeling of dread. A super large hill was waiting for me at Mile 15...the hill is so large that taiko drummers come out so runners can use the drum beats to get up the hill. I turned my iPod up and went into denial for a few miles. One of the aid stations along this stretch had my favorite aid station treat: oranges. I had a slice and powered on.
(As a side note, the aid stations were really well run at this event. Each table was set up consistently with water, Gatorade, and then the opportunity for more water.)
The views of Lake Champlain along Miles 13 and 14 were amazing! The course ran along an asphalt bike trail along the lake. I stopped to take a few photos here. The temps were starting to warm up quite a bit so I really enjoyed the cool breeze off the lake.
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| The Assault on Battery |
Then I turned off the bike trail ready for Mile 15...better known as "The Assault on Battery." The hill. The steep, unshaded hill. I stopped to take a photo at the bottom of the hill and one spectator said to me: "Yeah, baby! That's a hill isn't it!?!? THAT'S A HILL!" Yep, buddy, I bet it's easy to get that excited about a hill if all you are doing is standing at the bottom of it. Spectators held signs saying "Beat the hill!" I started the steep 6-block climb at a slow pace, but still a pace fast enough to be considered a run. Taiko drummers were located about a quarter of the way up the hill. I could feel their drum beat pulsing through my body. I took my headphones out here, and I used the drum beat to continue on about halfway up the hill. Spectators were leaning over the security fencing as far as they could cheering on the runners by name. The environment was extremely high energy, I just wanted to power up the hill...except it got steep...and I was hot. Knowing there were still 11 miles left, I'm not going to lie, I walked up the rest of that bad boy. I cannot name a point in any other marathon that I've run that I've felt that much energy from the spectators. For a part of the course that I just dreaded, the spectators made it so much fun.
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| Finishing the Vermont City Marathon |
At the top of the hill on Battery Street, I passed by the starting line again. That's definitely a race course record. I've never run by or through the starting line four times during a marathon. Looking at a course map, it's obvious the race is set up that way so that runners get to see the most scenic parts of the city and spectators can easily maneuver the course to see the runners.
The next 6.5 miles of the course were run along North Avenue and in and out of residential neighborhoods. The stretches along North Avenue were pretty toasty but running through the shaded neighborhoods was a blast. People were out with sprinklers and hoses to cool the runners down. I quickly learned to avoid any kid holding a hose after one almost totally soaked my feet. The adults seemed to understand to aim for the head and shoulders so our feet didn't wet. In one of the neighborhoods around Mile 18 or 19, there was a sign that said "Lakewood Musical Mile." In this neighborhood almost everyone was out in their front yard partying down. There were plenty of oranges and bananas for everyone. The oranges were actually cold. The bananas had been peeled and sliced and put into Dixie cups that we could carry along with us. That takes effort. I was extremely impressed. What a fun neighborhood!
By Mile 20, I realized I'd maybe had one too many bananas and orange slices along the course and felt really full. Whoops. I'd become one of those people that snack their way through a race. It was also at Mile 20 that "Turn Down for What" came on my iPod. I seriously don't remember ever downloading that song. I don't really know what "turning down for what" means...I probably don't really want to know what it means, but that beat really carried me along for 3 minutes and 34 seconds. Um, thanks DJ Snake and Lil Jon.
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| Post Race Treat: Maple Creemees are AMAZING! |
Around Mile 21, I saw one of the best race signs ever: You could have chosen chess. I love the irony in that as I have never understood how to play chess. Marathons seem easier than learning to play chess... During Mile 21, the course has a steep downhill to the Burlington Bike Trail, which meant shade at last. The views of Lake Champlain from this bike trail were also beautiful. I stopped to take a photo and "ran" into my Maniac pal Murray. I was grateful to see someone I knew, and we pushed each other the last few miles. It's always nice to run into a Maniac at the end of race when you need moral support.
By Mile 23, course officials indicated that the temps were high enough that the event had been red flagged. It wasn't may imagination that it was hot. By the time I finished, temps were over 80 degrees. That being said, at the Mile 23 aid station I heard runners squeal with delight. The aid station had Freezie Pops. During a hot marathon, there is no better treat. Forgot the cold oranges. That grape Freezie Pop helped get me through the last 3 miles.
Around Mile 25 I lost sight of Murray, he bounded ahead of me and I just couldn't keep up. I kept trucking along at a steady pace and passed several people. There's no greater feeling to me at the end of a marathon than passing runners. There's many marathons where I'm getting passed left and right. With the warm temps and the issues I had been having in the weeks leading up to the race, I was delighted that I was feeling so strong. It must have been the boost from the Freezie Pop...
I crossed the finish line of the Vermont City Marathon in 5:03:40. (After crossing the starting line so many times, in case you are wondering, the finish line was in a completely different area than the starting line.) State #27 was in the books!
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