The commencement of the marathon was signaled by two extremely loud shotgun blasts from those Hatfield and McCoy guys (my right ear was ringing for the next two minutes!).
Thanks to my insane hill workout on Friday, I went into the marathon with an aching, sore calf. As a result, I hung with the 8:00/mile pacer as we ran along the main road, Route 119, for the first mile or so. Unfortunately, there had already been some confusion. Apparently, there was a quick turnaround before backtracking on Route 119 and heading onto Route 319 and the side roads into the local neighborhoods.
Unfortunately, the police stationed there had no idea about the turnaround and waived the lead pack along past them. The front runners went almost two miles before someone finally turned them back. Lucky for those of us running more slowly, we were able to make the turn correctly after the error was realized.
After clocking an 8:02 for the first mile, I pulled away from the pacer and did a 7:40 for mile two.
Anyone who had run the race in prior years got a personalized sign placed somewhere along the course, so it was fun reading them throughout the entire 26.2 miles. They all started with "Welcome back" and the person's name, followed by a funny or inspiring running-themed message. A nice touch, especially for a race that has no spectators, save for some of the country folk sitting on their porches occasionally wishing us a good morning as we ran through their quiet neighborhoods.
Miles three through six through Toler and Hardy were a gradual incline. Though there was no point in this race that I felt good (thanks to my already dead legs from Friday's run), I did feel like it would be a smart move to bank a little time before the giant hill, so I gently sped up to a 7:26, 7:34, 7:49, and 7:39. By now it was raining, which actually felt good because it was around 70 degrees and it broke the humidity.
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| Somewhere on Route 319 in the early miles of the Hatfield & McCoy Marathon |
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| Going uphill on Route 319 in Hardy, KY |
I took the big uphill at a measured pace (8:20) and the big downhill just as measured (7:55). My left calf was not happy about that downhill. Thankfully we had some flat terrain for the next six miles, but I was already feeling tired and sore.
I did mile nine at a 7:26 and by mile 10 (7:41), I felt like I normally would feel at mile 20. Not good.
Still, there was no question of whether I would finish, it was only a matter of how slowly. And I was willing to ratchet it all the way down to nine-minute miles if that meant finishing on two feet. So I approached the next three miles modestly (7:46, 7:48, 7:54) and hit the half-marathon point in Matewan, WV, at 1:41:10 before turning around, crossing the Tug Fork River again back into Kentucky.
The next five miles were on River Road, a road so narrow and only partially paved, it reminded me of some of the trails I have run in New Jersey, and it was chock full of rolling hills. Each little bump took more and more effort as I did miles 14 through 17 at 7:49, 7:48, 8:00, and 8:06.
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| The very narrow River Road, which was only partially paved and had a lot of rolling hills |
By that point, there was no more pavement. The rain had let up, but it had poured most of the day before (as evidenced in all the above photos, which were taken while we drove the course on Friday), so the dirt road was a muddy mess. Trudging through the slop, trying to neither step in the deep puddles nor slide on the slippery surface, it took me 8:45 to get through mucky mile 18.
Veering onto the pathway of a golf course, I was able to briefly get my footing again before crossing the river into West Virginia again on a wooden suspended bridge that was both shaky and slippery. Finally back on a proper road, I finished mile 19 at 8:18.
Gloria was at the next aid station with a fresh pair of shoes and socks for me, in case I was too uncomfortable from the muddy terrain. I declined, figuring that if I stopped, I might not be able to start again. I was fading and I still had a 10K to do, so I kissed my beautiful bride and pressed on with a 8:11 for the 20th mile.
The next five miles were beautifully scenic (as was the entire course, really) and a bit challenging, first on what appeared to be a pedestrian path through a park in mile 21 (8:21), with some short, steep ups and downs, and then crossing over the river back into Kentucky yet again onto Route 292, with the river to our right, some homes at the base of the mountain to our left, and a canopy of trees overhead.
There was no avoiding the slowdown, so I did not fight it. My body was willing to do miles 22 and 23 at 8:19 and 8:47, and there was no need to push any harder than that, even as the 8:00/mile pacer passed me. I felt no shame about it (though I did chide myself for not training better) and was much happier than if I tried to push too hard only to hit the wall.
Plus, there was one more big hill to climb in the 24th mile and there was nothing I could do but baby-step it at a 9:05 before finishing out the Route 292 section with a 9:08 for mile 25.
The final mile was on Route 119 and as soon as I was on the highway, I felt a blast of heat and humidity. The tree-lined roads by the river had shielded me from those elements and now I was grateful that I only had to run one last mile in the muggy late-morning air (9:12).
The home stretch crossed one last time over the Tug Fork River for the finish in Williamson, WV, where Gloria was cheering me on and running me into the end.
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| Downtown Williamson, where the race ended |
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| Me coming toward the finish line (photo by Gloria) |
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| Finishing the race and high-fiving Hatfield and McCoy (photo by Gloria) |
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| Exhausted, sore, and muddy, but thoroughly happy to show off my medal (photo by Gloria) |
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| Winner (sort of) of my age group! (photo by Gloria) |
My final result was a 3:33:16, an 8:08 pace. Despite that nagging thought that I banged out a 3:04:48 only six months ago, this was a respectable result for a tough course on a warm day after a difficult training cycle coming off of an injury.
In fact, I came in 8th of 257 overall and 127 males, and first out of 21 men ages 40 to 44 (actually, I came in second in my age group, but since the other guy placed in the top three overall, the age group prize went to me).
Gloria was also not too shabby in the 5K, which started in Williamson and ran out and back on the last 1.5 miles of the marathon course, finishing strong with a 30:44 (8:55 pace). She came in 38th of 229 overall, 15th of 147 females, and third out of 16 women ages 40 to 44. It was the first time she had ever won an age group award!
If you are up for the challenge of some tough hills and possible muddy terrain, I highly recommend this race. And if the marathon sounds like it is too much, you can run either half of it as a single half-marathon race. You can even run both halves as separate races in the same day. And no matter which you choose (even the 5K), you get to have the fun of running in two states with lovely scenery, friendly folks, a huge medal, and some downtown post-race fun in Williamson. That sure ain't nothin' to feud over.
