Oct 2, 2010. I was thinking about running the Stump Jump 50K, but decided to do the Plunge Marathon along with Diane and Kim. This was an inaugural marathon in the little town of Winchester, TN. It was a cold morning. Real cold. At least it felt that way to me after enjoying a great summer for the past few months. The drive wasn’t too long, and we started at 5 in the morning and made it comfortably before the start. The registration was set up at the Oldham cinema. “Legend of the Guardians” is something that I wanted to catch, but not today.
The packet pickup went smoothly and the T-shirt was gorgeous. There was no orange tag or ChampionChip this time though. The sensor was embedded in the BIB itself. Race timing is getting very technical. Wonder how it will be down the line. Caught up with Josh (the evil RD who put on the Blister in the Sun marathon), Chris Estes, Joshua Holmes and Kim. There were more half marathoners than marathoners. My goal was to do better than Tupelo though.
The race started on time. The beginning of the course was winding through city roads and traffic. The first 5 miles smelled of gas and smoke all the way, but there were cops EVERYWHERE. They regulated the traffic so well, especially at the intersections. I was sick in my stomach. I was running at a good pace though, but was feeling soreness in my shoulder, and as usual I forgot to tape my nipples and ended up chafing. Yeah!! I never learn from my mistakes.
Though it was cold at the start of the race, it was getting hotter and more humid as the day went on. I reached the half marathon distance by 2:05. There were hardly any runners who took the deviation to the marathon course. Kim, who finished her half marathon in about 1:50, came down to the intersection with some ice-cold water and a banana. Thanks, Kim, you are the best! She ran with me for a while and I took off after devouring the banana.
A long stretch of road and I could see miles ahead of me but no runner. I was there all by myself. I was skeptical whether I was on the course and was so glad when I hit the aid station. I was indeed on the course. Wish the aid stations had some electrolytes. About 18 miles into the race, my running friend Phil Min caught me. That’s the difference between experienced and amateur runners. He had an amazing pace and he passed me in no time. Slow and steady. The course ahead had some serious elevation. The elevation didn’t seem to be very tough but it was. Steep and long. My goal to finish the race under 4:30 started to fade. The new goal was to get it under 5:00.
It got really hot towards the end of the race. My Vibrams couldn’t keep up with the hot surface, and when I inspected my feet at an aid station I noticed a few blood blisters on my toes. Nice!! Soon, Phyllis caught me. Another experienced runner, and this was her 185th marathon. That’s no typo, it was indeed her 185th marathon. The steep hills were killing me and I was craving some food, though I knew that I wouldn’t have anything solid for the next hour at least.
The course during the last few miles was really rough. We were running on a thin shoulder with the traffic just a foot away. It was a bit confusing too, as the course went through a junkyard and deserted streets, but big thanks to all the volunteers for staying out there in the sun. The finish line came into sight and it was time to sprint. 4:59:16 was my finish time. Best surprise!! I placed second in my age group :). Sweet!!! While waiting for Diane, I met with Kim (Winchester is her hometown btw) and her mom at the finish line. Soon, runners started showing up one after another.
Josh Hite won the marathon with a great time of 3:00:00. Overall, a great race for an inaugural marathon. The volunteers need a special mention here; they did a great job. I can’t wait for my award, which will arrive by mail soon. Above all, I thank God for enabling me to finish my 8th marathon, Strong!!!
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