Running Away from It All: Back for more pain again (Blue Ridge Marathon)

Apparently I didn’t learn my lesson last year, because I found myself running the Blue Ridge Marathon again this year. The BRM calls itself “America’s Toughest Road Marathon” and I would say that is only ½ right. The course is certainly a humbling experience, with 7200 feet elevation change up that covers not one, not two, but three mountains. However a word of advice to the race organizers – if you really want to call your race the toughest, you might want to do something about all those pesky friendly locals. Everyone, and I mean everyone, from the race organizers, to the volunteers, from the hotel staff, to the spectators, and even the racers, were just so nice. If you are tired of races that are all about corporate sponsorship and money, this is the perfect antidote.

Night before

I did learn one thing from last year – don’t try to do this race all in one day, including the 4 hour drive each way. This year, I took my time and went down the day before and toured the expo, which was well run and full of helpful and, you guessed it, nice, people. It was easy to find everything I needed as opposed to some of the overwhelmingly huge expos at the larger, well known large races. After the expo, I checked in to my hotel, laid out my race gear and set to figuring out dinner. I had two choices in walking distance - Italian or Mexican. You might wonder who eats Mexican food the night before a marathon. Yep, this guy. It is not as it might sound, as I had Pollo con Arroz y Vegetales. Of course, I also had a beer and sopapillas for dessert. Don’t judge, I was carbo loading.

Pre-race

The hotel had lots breakfast options and I was ‘cised to find my pre-race goto meal: A bagel with peanut butter and honey, and tea. I met lots of other racers doing the same thing – eating breakfast, not putting honey and peanut butter on bagels. After breakfast and a quick potty stop, it was a short drive to the starting line. The weather was ideal – 39 degrees and sunny at the start. I waited as long as I could before taking off my sweatshirt and hat and dropping at bag check. I walked over to the race corrals, found the 4:30 pace group, listen to the anthem (local opera singer – wow could she sing), knealed for quick prayer, before BANG, the race started.

Race

Having been beat down by this course last year, I revised my strategy (and training plan – thanks Fleet Feet Roanoke) and kept it simple. On the uphill, I slowed my pace and walked the steepest grades. I also made sure to occasionally walk/run backwards to use different muscles, take water at every stop, and pause at the top of the mountains to enjoy the view. For the downhills, I made sure to take it as easy as possible using short choppy steps to control my decent. Last year the downhills did a number on my quads. I kept an eye on the 4:30 pace group, allowing myself to get a little ahead before the mountains to account for walking and taking a pic at the top, and then tucked in behind the pacers when they caught up to let him to guide me on the way down.

The strategy seems to work, because I had enough left to handle Peakwood, the 3^rd and final mountain. Peakwood is, IMHO, the most difficult part of the course, given it starts around mile 17, and has some of the steepest grades. To offset this misery, the whole neighborhood comes out to watch and treat the race as one big party. People were cheering on the racers - any maybe laughing a little too. There is a running joke (see what I did there?) about the Peakwood Conspiracy. When you ask someone who lives there if you are close to the top, they always answer “it is just around the corner”. Only after you turn the next corner do you realize they never tell you which corner.

After coming down from Peakwood (thank you gravity) I settled into a pace I hoped I could maintain for last 6 miles. Unfortunately, I forgot about the “hill” at mile 24. I was forced to walk it, and that was the point where the 4:30 pace group caught and passed me. Oops, I though, I hope I have enough to keep up with him. At mile 25, I saw the pace group had a good 1 to 2 minute lead on me.

Remembering that the last 1.2 miles were mostly flat/downhill, I put on a burst of speed. Okay, I am not sure what it actually looked like, but it felt like a burst of speed. I did start to slowly reel the pace group back in. After one last turn I saw the downhill to the finishing shoot with just enough time on the clock to get a sub 4:30. I gave every last ounce I had and was rewarded with a 4:29:34! Yea me! Almost 25 minutes better than last year.

Aid stations

There we aid stations every 3 miles with water and Skratch. Also plenty of Gu gels along the way as well. I made sure to take water at every station to supplement my hand held Nuun. No offense to all the wonderful volunteers staffing aid stations and volunteering to take pics, but my favorite aid stations were the ones staffed by locals. Moo Moo Mosia on the back side of Mill Mountain? Strawberries and Champaign at the top of Parkwood? A bugler playing charge on the uphill? It is like I attended an outdoor festival and a race brook out.

Post race:

First stop after getting medal and water was food !!!! Unlike some races when most of the food is cleared out by the time I get finis, there was tons of pizza, salty snacks, bananas, and yes chocolate milk. After doing a pretty good imitation of cookie monster (Nom Nom), I took advantage of recovery tent –ice bath, form rolling, and massage. Hurts sooo good. The massage therapist worked miracles, as I limped in and walked out. Now I was ready to enjoy my post-race beer, the concert and perfect weather. The perfect ending to great day.

Summary

I said it last year, and I will say it again – this is the most fun you will ever have running 26.2 miles. Full disclosure, I received a free entry to this race in exchange for writing about it.