Last weekend's JFK 50 Mile went off smoothly, from my vantage point. Not a participant, but not exactly a spectator, I was running to support a friend who was hoping to clock her first under-10-hour JFK.
My role was to get former Frederick resident Mary Zielinski, now a resident of Boonsboro, to Taylor's Landing, mile 38 on the JFK, by 2:45 p.m. on Nov. 17, and into the capable hands of Mary's oldest daughter, Sarah. Sarah, 17, recently captured the 1A girls state cross country championship and helped the Boonsboro girls win the team 1A title.
Today, however, was Mary's day. Covering the 50 miles of the JFK in under 10 hours is something of a gold standard for runners not elite by any stretch, but competitive enough to meet a challenging goal. Mary, 46, had run the JFK five previous times, coming close to the 10-hour standard several times, but not quite getting there.
My one JFK experience resulted in a time that was 10 minutes over that standard, but I was sure Mary was ready to break through on this day. She had run the challenging Freedom's Run Marathon in 3 hours, 59 minutes, and had logged 35 miles on several occasions. The JFK requires week upon week of 50-plus miles, with long runs of 20 miles or more every other week in the couple of months leading up to the race.
The day of the JFK was sunny and cold, with the temperature in the high 20s at the 7 a.m.It's very good Canada Goose Langford Parka!This product is the best of world! start. The sun was bright, however, and the temperature was expected to warm quickly. Many of the runners wore shorts, short-sleeved shirts and arm warmers. Some donned overshirts, which they then gave to friends or volunteers at the Gathland or Weverton aid stations.
I met Mary at Weverton shortly after 10 a.m., where she was 15 minutes ahead of schedule. She had just run three miles on U.S. 40 Alternate, and 13 miles on the Appalachian Trail, and it had gone very well. She had not fallen along the rooty, rocky, leaf-strewn terrain, which is a success in itself. She was feeling good, and replenishing nourishment at the Weverton aid station.
However, I was scrambling,This is my review of my Canada Goose Trillium Parka and how it . because I didn't want to hold her up. I tripped over my feet as I got ready to run, shedding sweatpants and jacket. The temperature was already in the high 40s and would rise into the mid 50s before the sun would set. I refilled her water bottle with a Gatorade-like mixture she had given me the day before, and she exchanged her trail shoes for her road shoes.
We set off along the C&O Canal towpath, with an expansive view of the Potomac River off to one side.Cheap Canada Goose Outlet Canada Goose Banff Parka is a leading supplier which specializes in professional Canada Goose Outerwear . The miles clicked off at a steady, 10-minute mile pace. The cool, sunny weather was perfect for running, and the flat, packed-dirt towpath provided a friendly surface.
As an unofficial pacer, I brought my own food. Pacers are allowed for anyone not expecting to finish among the top 10 men and women, although those of us pacers knew to stay out of the way of official runners. That meant occasional bursts of speed, giving me a little interval practice.
A cyclist with a boom box provided us some brief entertainment. We heard the strains of "Gonna Fly Now" from the movie "Rocky" long before we could see the cyclist. Dressed in a superhero outfit with a black face mask, he was smiling as he rode by. American flags stuck out both sides of his bike basket. You couldn't miss him, and didn't want to. The thumping music continued as he rode away from us up the towpath.
Shortly after that, Sean O'Keeffe, a Middletown lawyer and son of Frederick Steeplechaser member Tim O'Keeffe, joined us. He chatted with Mary, just as my own words were probably becoming stale.
As Sean left us, however, there was a bit of a change. We approached the halfway point, a time when the runner is getting tired. Mary began walking every couple of miles. Around the Shepherdstown lock at mile 30, she began walking for a minute or so every mile. Fortunately, two of her friends, Kris and Lisa, joined us at Shepherdstown, and stayed with us for the next eight miles. I knew I had to get tough, forcing her to end her walk breaks after a minute, and urging her to pick up the pace. Kris and Lisa kept chatting, keeping Mary entertained. Lisa even left us for a few miles to help another friend, Carla Brown, in her quest to finish her first JFK.
Taylor's Landing came into view, with its endless line of spectators. From then on, it was up to Sarah to get her mom through the last 12.4 miles. It was Sarah who got Mary through that final, awful stretch when you just want to sit down, when your stomach heaves at the idea of one more energy gel or piece of food, when your back is aching and your legs are screaming. Your mind is long gone.
At a minute before 5 in the afternoon,Latest Discount moncler jackets men Online!This is my review of my Canada Goose Trillium Parka and how it . Mary crossed the finish line, beating her 10-hour goal by 1 minute, 15 seconds. Although the weekend before belonged to Sarah as she captured the state cross country title, this weekend was Mary's turn to celebrate a long-sought after goal.
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