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Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Baystate Half Marathon 2019

Date: 20 October 2019
Location: Lowell, MA

Baystate Marathon and Half Marathon and Half Marathon Relay

This was the completion of my second major running goal this year, the first being mountain goat status. This race earned me a Mill Cities Double jacket, as I had run Gate City Half Marathon in the spring.



Pre-Race Babble


As with all my races this year, I did ZERO formal training. I mostly ran consistently but I did not follow any plan for long runs and gradual mile increases. I printed out a plan, but that was about it, I did more cross training than I have ever done in the past.  Having so many races scheduled during training made a bit of a mess to the logistics of it all. That and I had no fear of failure, when I trained for Gate City Marathon, I had a fear of failure. After walking 20 miles during Hamster Wheel last year pacing a friend with absolutely no training and barely any consistent running, I realized that without a cut off, I could finish a half without training.

This was also the race that conflicted with CHAD, and I had to decide Mill City Double jacket or NH Grand Prix. Next year I'll be running for NH Grand Prix, provided there isn't a conflict with a few of my major anchor races.

By random chance of I really need to do some running, I ran a 1 loop preview of the course with friends the week before. Which was fun and terrifying because of the random pedestrian bridge bolted on to the Rouke Bridge. Slippery, felt like a treadmill, with the illusion that it never ended. I also realized I was over dressed. I started a strength training plan two weeks before the race as well. I'm undecided if this was a brilliant plan or just a confidence builder.

Taken while running the Rouke pedestrian bridge.
Baystate must be one of the biggest races I have run. It's fantastic and intimidating. They had an expo the weekend before, which was new to me as well. I scored a pair of my sneakers super cheap, plus they tossed in socks. Brooks gave my son a hat and made neat photo booth bookmarks. I know I only scratched the surface of what was going on, but I brought hungry kids straight from their morning exercise classes. I do not recommend doing this.

Expo Bib photo 

Race Day


Flat Johanna.  My planned outfit.
To save my husband's sanity. I got a ride from local friends. I love running. I love racing. I do not like 4:30 am wake ups when I have not been responsible about going to bed early.

We got to the event while it was still dark out. I got to explore a bit of the quiet Tsongas arena and get reminded of the smell of an ice rink. I may not play hockey anymore or have my equipment but ice still holds a special place for me. We chatted with a friend that was volunteering, found other friends and eventually spent about an hour hanging out in Phil's warm truck. Phil and I discussed running this race together as we did Gate City.

While I had forgotten my phone charging cord, he had forgotten his watch. We ran together and he got to listen to me shoot out "Slow down our current pace is 10:40/9:50/11:05" All speeds that would burn us out before the end. My watch was set to intervals which we more or less ignored, except when we wanted a walk break and then we ran until the watch told us we were allowed one.

Overall the first loop went well and smoothly. We timed gu and electrolyte pills well(expect I didn't realize we should have been taking 2 at a time). Water stops didn't really slow us down, we had water and just stopped at one for a refill. We cursed at the Rouke bridge and I swear it sounded like panels were popping up. We swore even louder at the heavily banked road near the end of the loop. We did our best to handle it but needed to make sure that half marathon finishers could get by(and on the 2nd loop full marathoners). It was a happy moment when we crossed that last tiny bridge and headed to Perkins St.

As we rounded the corner near the DJ, we over heard him talking about the half marathoners being less than the marathoners, as if we were not good enough for a full so we settled for the half. Phil got to hear some coarse language out of me about how a half marathon was still a big deal and some of us choose that distance. Running the half marathon wasn't my consolation prize because I wasn't ready for the full and didn't train right, it was my initial intent and I didn't train for it either. Needless to say I got over it quickly as we headed around the corning and back into the second loop of the race.

This loop was harder as we were starting to feel the miles. Oddly the hills were hard, I ran all those mountain races, but I honestly power walked them, which did nothing to improve my ability to run up a hill, but did mean I could walk up it at the same speed I walk flat, along with not exhausting me. Much of the route was under some level of construction and I suspect being Massachusetts, that will always be the case. The worse of it during the first half of the loop, was a bit more dangerous this time with cars also fighting to be in the only lane. I suspect this was closed for the first time we went through as we were still in the middle of the huge pack of runners(half and full).

More walk breaks were taken, more stretch breaks we taken. More dreading of the slanted road and the bouncing rouke bridge. At least the weather was pretty, which honestly may be why I'm struggling to remember much from this race. Bad weather leads to better stories, but nice cool sunny weather well, fairly unexciting. We saw the 4 hr maraton pacer running across the bridge at us. We chatted with other runners for a moment. Phil knows everyone so we absolutely had moments we slowed down to talk with people.

My goal starting was a sub-3 hr half.  His goal was to beat our Gate City time.

As we hit the final bridge to head towards perkins, I was feeling good and checked to see if Phil would mind if I just kept going. I finished that last mile strong, but on the verge of tears. I just kept getting hit with waves of emotion. DJ was just as annoying, but at least he announced my name.

Up to the main road, take a left this time, I saw a friend from high school. I was nearly to the end. I swear the road seemed to expand, I kept thinking one more block and then another would appear. There were more spectators than I expected(that was awesome) and long fences to separate the  runners from them. The finish line appeared and I knew I would not only sub 3 hour, but I beat Gate City.

I heard my kids yell out Go Mom! I could see them, I was wrapped in the silver blanket, handed a water bottle and medal. I spoke with the kids but I couldn't hug them until I got to the end of the fences. I waited a few minutes and Phil appeared. We hobbled to find a place for leg drains. My legs nearly buckled. While this race felt much easier than Gate City, my legs were done. Discussing with Phil and Alex, our guess is either I didn't take enough electrolytes or I didn't fuel correctly for the caloric burn of both running and staying warm. I ran most of my races last year over dressed and this was not an issue. This year I have gotten close to hypothermia a few times.

I ran a good race, I'm excited to check it off. I'd run it again but that will depend on other race plans. I want to experience new courses and new places.



Next up is the Cambridge Half Marathon. I am running it with the only goal, help my best friend cross the finish line. It's her race, I'm just running along side to chat and cheer. A week after that I'll be at the Wolf Hollow 10 miler, as I won an entry from the Gate City Striders for volunteering at Fitness University. Novemberfest, while one of favorites, may not happen for me, as my son is running cross country and it conflicts with a race he may qualify for.

December starts training for Eastern States and Mt Washington.



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