This was my first time running Garden Spot and my second
marathon in three weeks. I ran Ocean Drive two weeks prior and that marathon
kicked off a slew of running activity leading up to Dirty German 50 miler on
May 17. So G-Spot was #2 on the list and the races afterwards would start to
really progressively get harder. Funny thing happened I went ahead and signed
up for another trail marathon leading up to G-Spot, The North Face Bear
Mountain up in New York. A rocky nasty trail run at the foot of the Catskills.
So that gives me a brutal lead up to my fifty but I digress.
I really did not have a lot of expectations for Garden Spot
as far as time goes. I wanted to run well but nice and easy, sort of like a
glorified long training run. No pushing the pace or trying to go all out with
Breakneck Point Marathon the following week. I was looking at trying to run 30
to 40 seconds slower per mile then I did at Ocean Drive. That should allow me
to not really blow up towards the end. So that was my goal I suppose, to not
blow up. Easier said then done. I was running the race with my running bud
Kourtney. She and I ran the Bird-In-Hand Half Marathon back in the fall around
these parts and I struggled mightily in the heat and humidity that day. That
half was run on the hottest day of the year and was probably my worst race I
have ever done. So my memory of running in New Holland wasn’t a pleasant one. But
once again, that’s why I signed up for this one. This is as much mental
training as it is physical. Ultra distances of 50 miles and 100 miles require a
hardening of the mind as well as the body. This was ultra training.
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| KYW News Radio? That's what I kept thinking. LOL |
The sun was shining strong with bright blue skies. The temperature was supposed to get close to 60 degrees. Standing at the start line, we saw a man wearing an Oil
Creek 100 shirt. We walked over and started talking to him. His name was Frank
and he had done the 50k at OC there and was doing the 15k at Ironmaster’s in a
few weeks. We talked for a good five minutes or so and he was so nice. Frank
embodied the running community or better yet the ultra community. I consider
meeting him a great omen. It was then the horn went off and away we went.
Miles 0-8
I knew right away
that this might not be a great run for me. I felt lethargic and sore from my
Tuesday evening 8 mile hard tempo run. My legs did not feel springy or quick
they felt rather slow and heavy. Negative thoughts were already creeping in
during the early miles. Kourtney and I were doing around 9:40 miles for the
first two. Not fast by any means in fact it was almost perfect. I would call it
leisurely. About 70% of the runners were there doing the half marathon and we
certainly did not want to get caught up in running half marathon pace. Our pace
felt right. The first hill was between miles two and three and as we climbed we
starting passing people which felt strange. A few people were even walking at
this point. I did not break pace here and continued up the hill and my legs
were feeling better during the climb then at the start. The course then leveled
out for about a mile. Then we climbed again from mile four to mile five. Rinse
repeat. We kept pace of around 9:30 to 9:40 even on the hills again passing
people. I kept glancing at my pace because passing this many people early on is
usually not a good sign for me but to my amazement we were fine. It was here I started really trying to hit the
tangents as the field was starting the thin out due to the inclines. It always
shocks my how so many other runners don’t really run the course and instead
just run the road. Road marathons distances are certified by using the shortest
distance a runner can run, and that means inside corner to inside corner. A
runner can easily add almost a half mile or more to their final distance over
the course of a marathon by not running the tangent lines. Twenty six miles on
blacktop is long enough I certainly don’t want to add to that distance by
taking the outside lane on a long sweeping curve. After cresting at the top of
this hill we then started a descent towards that one signature hill that we
would face on the way back. It was here the leaders of the half marathon were
on their way back and looking strong. I love cheering on the runners like this.
They looked so strong and fast. The first woman was looking great and had a great
big smile on her face. I love seeing other runners smile. (I mean really let’s
face it, none of us get paid to do this and in the end it’s about having fun.) Kourtney
and I then reached the top of that steep hill. I went ahead and bombed it and
just let gravity take me down. That’s always a fun thing to do. We then hit the
half marathon turnaround, grabbed some drinks, and continued straight on and
just like that is was quiet. There was no turnaround for us we had to continue
on into that howling headwind and up that lonely road to who knows where.
Miles 8-16
The wind was really whipping across those wide open fields.
It was so strong that as you would lift your foot your leg would actually be
pushed to the side by the force of the wind. It was crazy. Kourtney and I fell
into a conga line with a few other runners just to help draft off each other.
We ran the white fog line the best we could trading off with each other so each
runner took their turn in cutting the wind. These miles seemed endless really.
They just seemed to go on and on. At one point the road finally turned and we
got a reprieve from the wind and it was almost at our back. It was at this
point that I noticed we were actually on the same course as the Bird-In-Hand
Half. This was also at the point were I was really starting to feel loosened up
and actually pretty good. Maybe it was that Mocha Cliff shot I downed a mile or
so back I’m not really certain. Either way I started to pick up the pace now
that the headwind basically turned into a tailwind. I was starting to pull away
from Kourtney not realizing it and actually passed a few other runners.
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| Certainly not a nice and flat run. |
Miles 16-26.2
I was now running alone. Kourtney had fallen back a bit by a
few minutes. I wasn’t exactly setting any land speed records here at this point
still averaging almost 10 minute miles but I was running the long inclines that
other’s were slowly walking. I wasn’t passed by one single person from this
point forward. That almost never happens. I was actually starting to pass more
and more people which always gives the passer an energy boost. That too almost
never happens. When we got to that steep hill at mile 22 I powerhiked that hill
with a purpose and passed three others on that hill who were walking very
slowly. Being passed like that especially on a hill can be demoralizing, trust
me I know I’ve been there. But walking with a purpose can save your race if
done correctly. I could have easily blown another five minutes on that part of
the course by walking it like I was on a Sunday stroll in the park. You just can’t
do that. My mile splits on that section of the course were in the 11’s! That to
me is huge cause it certainly felt like I was walking way more then that.
That’s the power of the purposeful hike. I was starting to do the math and
staring at my watch thinking this was going to be close..really close! I could
PR here. Wait what? That’s nuts, but I could. The math was there and I knew
once I got over this steep section it was bombs away for at least a mile
heading towards the final miles. I passed two younger girls, a few younger men,
then a few others. I bombed that hill all the way down to the aid station
pushing 8 minute pace. I was starting to fade but I grabbed water powerhiked
thru the aid station and started running again. I was doing a 9 minute pace but
I was leaking oil. I then passed a girl and a guy who just seemed to stop due
to cramps I suppose. It seemed like I flew past them. Then I passed a few
others and it was just me for the final mile. That last half a mile into Garden
Spot was a minor incline at best but it felt like Mt. Rainer. It was nice to
get some applause entering the community and I really could smell a PR so I
emptied the tank what was left anyway and managed to run an 8:30 pace for the
last three tenths of a mile. 4:19:26 was
my final chip time. Certainly not considered fast for a road marathon and far
from a BQ time but it was a distance personal record by 12 seconds over the one
I set two weeks prior in Sea Isle City New Jersey. Not a bad training long run
either and I was able to keep my heart rate somewhat in control.
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| All done and smiling and ready for the next adventure. |
Garden Spot is a great race. I love the feel of small-town
marathons much more so then the big city corporate marathons. The parking was
easy, packet pick up on race day was easy, the course was well marked and easy
to follow, and most important the volunteers were so very helpful and
enthusiastic at the aid stations and the finish line. Also the entry fee for
the race was very reasonable and the swag was great. I love tech hats so that
was a nice bonus. As a runner there isn’t much more you could ask for. If you
have never been to New Holland to run Garden Spot, you really should give it a
go.
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