I found myself running along Route 135 from Westborough to Hopkinton in 87 degree heat with high humidity and very little shade. I began to wonder if I would be able to finish the last 3 miles of this final leg of my portion of the Mass Dash relay. I could feel my energy slipping away at a rapid pace. I was sweating profusely and could feel my body starting to rebel against the effort. I stopped to walk for 2 minutes in hopes of resetting myself for the final push. When I started to run again, I knew I was finished. It would be a long 2.7 miles to the transition area. I would be forced to walk/run to the finish. I felt defeated.
How did I get to such a low point in a race I was so excited to be a part of? It is really very simple – poor planning and Mother Nature. Mother Nature was totally out of my control. I could not help the fact that we ran the race on one of the warmest and most humid weekends so far this summer. What we could have done was plan better. Our team did not run our legs in order. Therefore, we had no time to really rest and recover between legs and we never had a prolonged period overnight where we could catch at least 3 - 4 hours of sleep. I am proud of the team for persevering. Each of us pushed ourselves to the absolute limits of our body.
We all met at 2:30 am to jump into our two support vehicles for the drive out to the starting line at the Mt. Greylock Visitors center. We had to be there to check in by 5:30 am as our start time was 6:00 am. We arrived in plenty of time to check in and get our numbers. There were several teams that would be starting with us. There were only 31 teams registered to run in the race. I realized that this meant when we were out on the course there would not be a lot of other runners with us as we ran our respective legs.
The race started right on time and our first runner was really pumped up and ready to go. At this point, I knew that I would not be running my first leg until the late afternoon. We decided that we wanted to travel together to each transition area (TA) to cheer on our runners as they came in and went out. We only had 8 runners who would be running and travelling the entire route to Boston. As our first few runners completed their legs, I calculated that I would be going out at 2:30 pm. I knew this meant it would be hot and humid. Not ideal conditions for any kind of P.R.
When we dropped off our runner at TA 9, my van decided to head to TA 11 where I would be leaving from and to grab lunch. We went into Buckland and had lunch at a little pizzeria/sandwich shop. I had not had anything but a couple of Nutrigrain bars at this point. Knowing I had to run 6.2 miles, I decided to eat a small turkey sandwich. I was sure I had enough time to digest it before I had to run. I was hydrating to offset the heat and humidity I knew I would be facing on my first run. After lunch we headed back to TA 11 to wait for the hand off.
At 2:52 pm with the sun high in the sky, I received the handoff bracelet and headed out. I had thoroughly studied the route map and knew I had a tough run ahead. I would be climbing almost the whole way. The first 3/4 of a mile was shady and I felt pretty good despite the heat. But as I turned onto Route 112, I knew I was in for a very warm run. There were no shade trees along the route and the constant climb took its toll as I continued on. Between mile 2.5 and 4, the grade was 6-7%. My legs were really hurting as I pushed on up the hill. It finally leveled off as I crossed mile 4. A bit of relief before I had to run another 5% grade to the TA. I persevered and finished in 1:00:46, a 9:53 per mile pace. I was disappointed in my time. But, considering the heat and time of day, I was happy to finish in under 10:00 per mile.
My next run was going to come up 4 hours later. I did my best to hydrate and get a little food in my belly. The turkey sandwich was not a good choice prior to a hard effort in high heat. I am just glad I didn't leave it on the side of the road. I stretched out in the back of the van and cooled down as we drove on. We finally reached TA 18 around 7:30 pm. I got out of the van to put on my reflective vest, headlamp and flashing safety lights that are required for the evening runs. I mentally prepared myself for a redemption run. I knew I had 3.8 miles of relatively flat road ahead. I wanted to make up time for the team. I stretched a bit and waited for our runner to come in for the handoff.
I took the handoff at 8:09 pm. One of the high school track teams in the race was going out a few minutes ahead of me. I decided to do everything I could to keep her in my sights. I knew a 50 year old man was not going to catch her. But, I would let her pull me along at a good pace. Well, it worked. I finished in an excellent time 30:18, a 7:55 per mile pace. I have to say I was really pumped up when I finished. I grabbed a banana from the tent. Since this was the half way point, the race had food and drinks for all the runners. Check out my report from there.
Now, I had 9 hours before my next run. I really wanted to get some sleep. Unfortunately, the way the legs were set up, we had to support runners from our van through the night. This meant constant noise and lights. I lay down in the back of the van and caught a few snippets of sleep here and there. But, I knew it was not going to be enough. I became a little worried about taking on the longest leg of the race with no real sleep and not a lot of nourishment. I was not feeling very hungry and not eating. I should have forced myself. Despite the trepidation I was feeling we pushed onward.
At 5:00 am, I gave up on trying to sleep at all and decided to simply mentally prepare myself for the run. at 5:30 am, we pulled into TA 26. Our runner arrived 15 minutes later and I was off on my third leg of the race. I pushed on feeling pretty good despite my lack of sleep. I knew the route was mostly downhill and I was planning to take advantage of it. I also knew there was one stretch in the later third that was a 4% grade. I was dreading that short portion. I trudged on alone. There was only one runner ahead of me. I decided to push a little and pass her. I did just that about 4 miles into the leg. I was feeling pretty good about that little win.
As I approached the 4% grade, I could hear her running behind me and knew that I could not push myself any harder. She passed me as we neared the top of the hill. I knew at this point it was literally all downhill and I felt I could pass her again and beat her to the TA. As I came over the hill, I noticed her support van pulled over to the side of the road and she was getting into it. Next thing I know a fresh runner jumps out and leaves me in the dust! Not only is this against the rules but very demoralizing. I trudged on an finished the full leg all on my own in 1:34:35, a 9:34 per mile pace. I was pretty proud of my effort and so were my teammates.
I had one more leg and it was only going to be about 4 hours later. I was comforted by the fact that I was going to run a leg that I have run during my training numerous times. I had agreed to switch with one of our runners to allow me to run from Westborough High School (where my kids graduated from and go to) to the starting line of the Boston Marathon. I would have to run 6.5 miles with a net gain of 130' which comes all at the end as you head up to the Hopkinton green.
I took the handoff at 10:26 am and headed out on my final leg. The sun was beating down and the pavement was throwing up heat as well. At the beginning I held a very steady pace of 9:30 per mile for the first 2 miles. I simply wanted to keep that pace to the end. But, I started to feel bad so I slowed it down. My teammates met me at the 3 mile mark and got me hydrated a bit. I told them to move ahead 2 miles. I set off again and when I hit about 3.5 miles I realized I had no gas left in the tank. I tried to push on but my legs wouldn't go. I walked and jogged the last 3 miles just wanting to finish and not let my team down. It took me over an hour to run something I routinely run in 55 minutes. I was disappointed but glad to have finished. Check out my video from the finish of my leg.
We now had 6 legs left. Time was beginning to ebb away. We knew we had an absolute time cut-off of 36 hours. Our team was all feeling the effects of the last 30+ hours on the road both running and driving. We did our best to cheer each other on and will our way to the finish. Our last 2 runners had 2 hours and 20 minutes to finish 12.4 miles and get us over the line before the cut off. I have to say it was definitely touch and go.
I dropped our last runner off at Franklin Park and she had to run through Dorchester (not a safe area) to get to the finish line at UMASS Boston. We could tell she was struggling. So, one of our runners got out and stayed with her for a little over a mile and then her husband (one of our team) decided to run with her the rest of the way. Well to not drag this out any further, we all met near the finish line and ran across as one team. We finished in 35 hours 59 minutes and 52 seconds. Dead last. One team did not finish at all.
I am not sure where our energy came from but we whooped and hollered and were elated. We had finished a very grueling race. I personally had run 26.3 miles and somehow averaged 9:38 per mile. While I cannot say that I am pleased with my overall performance, I am very proud of my team and how hard we worked to get to the finish line. Looking back on it a week later, I have to say that I would do it again. I would just do a better job of planning out the running rotation to make sure all the runners were well rested and prepared for each of their legs. As Greg Anderson said, "Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” I couldn't agree more!
Jul. 10 – 8.10 miles (1:11:42, 8:51 pace)
Jul. 11 – 6.00 miles (53:44, 8:57 pace)
Jul. 12 – 4.00 miles (35:56, 8:59 pace)
Jul. 14 – 3.10 miles (27:51, 8:59 pace)
Jul. 16 – 6.20 miles (1:00:46, 9:53 pace) – Leg 1, Mass Dash
Jul. 16 – 3.80 miles (30:18, 7:56 pace) – Leg 2, Mass Dash
Jul. 17 – 9.80 miles (1:34:45, 9:34 pace) – Leg 3, Mass Dash
Jul. 17 – 6.50 miles (1:07:41, 10:26 pace) – Leg 4, Mass Dash
Jul. 23 – 5.00 miles (42:10, 8:38 pace)
Total Miles: 52.5 miles
2011 YTD Miles: 863.1 miles
How did I get to such a low point in a race I was so excited to be a part of? It is really very simple – poor planning and Mother Nature. Mother Nature was totally out of my control. I could not help the fact that we ran the race on one of the warmest and most humid weekends so far this summer. What we could have done was plan better. Our team did not run our legs in order. Therefore, we had no time to really rest and recover between legs and we never had a prolonged period overnight where we could catch at least 3 - 4 hours of sleep. I am proud of the team for persevering. Each of us pushed ourselves to the absolute limits of our body.
We all met at 2:30 am to jump into our two support vehicles for the drive out to the starting line at the Mt. Greylock Visitors center. We had to be there to check in by 5:30 am as our start time was 6:00 am. We arrived in plenty of time to check in and get our numbers. There were several teams that would be starting with us. There were only 31 teams registered to run in the race. I realized that this meant when we were out on the course there would not be a lot of other runners with us as we ran our respective legs.
The race started right on time and our first runner was really pumped up and ready to go. At this point, I knew that I would not be running my first leg until the late afternoon. We decided that we wanted to travel together to each transition area (TA) to cheer on our runners as they came in and went out. We only had 8 runners who would be running and travelling the entire route to Boston. As our first few runners completed their legs, I calculated that I would be going out at 2:30 pm. I knew this meant it would be hot and humid. Not ideal conditions for any kind of P.R.
When we dropped off our runner at TA 9, my van decided to head to TA 11 where I would be leaving from and to grab lunch. We went into Buckland and had lunch at a little pizzeria/sandwich shop. I had not had anything but a couple of Nutrigrain bars at this point. Knowing I had to run 6.2 miles, I decided to eat a small turkey sandwich. I was sure I had enough time to digest it before I had to run. I was hydrating to offset the heat and humidity I knew I would be facing on my first run. After lunch we headed back to TA 11 to wait for the hand off.
At 2:52 pm with the sun high in the sky, I received the handoff bracelet and headed out. I had thoroughly studied the route map and knew I had a tough run ahead. I would be climbing almost the whole way. The first 3/4 of a mile was shady and I felt pretty good despite the heat. But as I turned onto Route 112, I knew I was in for a very warm run. There were no shade trees along the route and the constant climb took its toll as I continued on. Between mile 2.5 and 4, the grade was 6-7%. My legs were really hurting as I pushed on up the hill. It finally leveled off as I crossed mile 4. A bit of relief before I had to run another 5% grade to the TA. I persevered and finished in 1:00:46, a 9:53 per mile pace. I was disappointed in my time. But, considering the heat and time of day, I was happy to finish in under 10:00 per mile.
My next run was going to come up 4 hours later. I did my best to hydrate and get a little food in my belly. The turkey sandwich was not a good choice prior to a hard effort in high heat. I am just glad I didn't leave it on the side of the road. I stretched out in the back of the van and cooled down as we drove on. We finally reached TA 18 around 7:30 pm. I got out of the van to put on my reflective vest, headlamp and flashing safety lights that are required for the evening runs. I mentally prepared myself for a redemption run. I knew I had 3.8 miles of relatively flat road ahead. I wanted to make up time for the team. I stretched a bit and waited for our runner to come in for the handoff.
I took the handoff at 8:09 pm. One of the high school track teams in the race was going out a few minutes ahead of me. I decided to do everything I could to keep her in my sights. I knew a 50 year old man was not going to catch her. But, I would let her pull me along at a good pace. Well, it worked. I finished in an excellent time 30:18, a 7:55 per mile pace. I have to say I was really pumped up when I finished. I grabbed a banana from the tent. Since this was the half way point, the race had food and drinks for all the runners. Check out my report from there.
Now, I had 9 hours before my next run. I really wanted to get some sleep. Unfortunately, the way the legs were set up, we had to support runners from our van through the night. This meant constant noise and lights. I lay down in the back of the van and caught a few snippets of sleep here and there. But, I knew it was not going to be enough. I became a little worried about taking on the longest leg of the race with no real sleep and not a lot of nourishment. I was not feeling very hungry and not eating. I should have forced myself. Despite the trepidation I was feeling we pushed onward.
At 5:00 am, I gave up on trying to sleep at all and decided to simply mentally prepare myself for the run. at 5:30 am, we pulled into TA 26. Our runner arrived 15 minutes later and I was off on my third leg of the race. I pushed on feeling pretty good despite my lack of sleep. I knew the route was mostly downhill and I was planning to take advantage of it. I also knew there was one stretch in the later third that was a 4% grade. I was dreading that short portion. I trudged on alone. There was only one runner ahead of me. I decided to push a little and pass her. I did just that about 4 miles into the leg. I was feeling pretty good about that little win.
As I approached the 4% grade, I could hear her running behind me and knew that I could not push myself any harder. She passed me as we neared the top of the hill. I knew at this point it was literally all downhill and I felt I could pass her again and beat her to the TA. As I came over the hill, I noticed her support van pulled over to the side of the road and she was getting into it. Next thing I know a fresh runner jumps out and leaves me in the dust! Not only is this against the rules but very demoralizing. I trudged on an finished the full leg all on my own in 1:34:35, a 9:34 per mile pace. I was pretty proud of my effort and so were my teammates.
I had one more leg and it was only going to be about 4 hours later. I was comforted by the fact that I was going to run a leg that I have run during my training numerous times. I had agreed to switch with one of our runners to allow me to run from Westborough High School (where my kids graduated from and go to) to the starting line of the Boston Marathon. I would have to run 6.5 miles with a net gain of 130' which comes all at the end as you head up to the Hopkinton green.
I took the handoff at 10:26 am and headed out on my final leg. The sun was beating down and the pavement was throwing up heat as well. At the beginning I held a very steady pace of 9:30 per mile for the first 2 miles. I simply wanted to keep that pace to the end. But, I started to feel bad so I slowed it down. My teammates met me at the 3 mile mark and got me hydrated a bit. I told them to move ahead 2 miles. I set off again and when I hit about 3.5 miles I realized I had no gas left in the tank. I tried to push on but my legs wouldn't go. I walked and jogged the last 3 miles just wanting to finish and not let my team down. It took me over an hour to run something I routinely run in 55 minutes. I was disappointed but glad to have finished. Check out my video from the finish of my leg.
We now had 6 legs left. Time was beginning to ebb away. We knew we had an absolute time cut-off of 36 hours. Our team was all feeling the effects of the last 30+ hours on the road both running and driving. We did our best to cheer each other on and will our way to the finish. Our last 2 runners had 2 hours and 20 minutes to finish 12.4 miles and get us over the line before the cut off. I have to say it was definitely touch and go.
I dropped our last runner off at Franklin Park and she had to run through Dorchester (not a safe area) to get to the finish line at UMASS Boston. We could tell she was struggling. So, one of our runners got out and stayed with her for a little over a mile and then her husband (one of our team) decided to run with her the rest of the way. Well to not drag this out any further, we all met near the finish line and ran across as one team. We finished in 35 hours 59 minutes and 52 seconds. Dead last. One team did not finish at all.
I am not sure where our energy came from but we whooped and hollered and were elated. We had finished a very grueling race. I personally had run 26.3 miles and somehow averaged 9:38 per mile. While I cannot say that I am pleased with my overall performance, I am very proud of my team and how hard we worked to get to the finish line. Looking back on it a week later, I have to say that I would do it again. I would just do a better job of planning out the running rotation to make sure all the runners were well rested and prepared for each of their legs. As Greg Anderson said, "Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” I couldn't agree more!
Jul. 10 – 8.10 miles (1:11:42, 8:51 pace)
Jul. 11 – 6.00 miles (53:44, 8:57 pace)
Jul. 12 – 4.00 miles (35:56, 8:59 pace)
Jul. 14 – 3.10 miles (27:51, 8:59 pace)
Jul. 16 – 6.20 miles (1:00:46, 9:53 pace) – Leg 1, Mass Dash
Jul. 16 – 3.80 miles (30:18, 7:56 pace) – Leg 2, Mass Dash
Jul. 17 – 9.80 miles (1:34:45, 9:34 pace) – Leg 3, Mass Dash
Jul. 17 – 6.50 miles (1:07:41, 10:26 pace) – Leg 4, Mass Dash
Jul. 23 – 5.00 miles (42:10, 8:38 pace)
Total Miles: 52.5 miles
2011 YTD Miles: 863.1 miles
1 comment:
Ted: Great job under difficult circumstances. You do look a little worn down in the last video.
We'll see you in a month and fatten you up some/
Dad
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