Race Results 2000 Results Race of the Month Umstead 100 James Joyce Ramble Results Archieve		April 2000 Race of the Month BAA Boston Marathon April 17th 2000, Boston Mass. Was it a cooling spring sea breeze or a strong head wind? Review the first person accounts from our Marathoners below and then you will be able to decide. For a more detailed view including 5k splits see the BAA Results page George Nicholson 3:09:30 Raymond Gonzalez 3:10:39 Sanjay Ram 3:24:09 Bob Boudrot 3:32:02 Allison Abbott 3:35:57 Brian Stramer 3:35:57 Anna Eleria 3:37:05 Joe McCarty 3:40:54 Kelly Niehoff 3:42:30 Lori Marcotte 3:58:48 Sandra Thinschmidt 3:59:50 Paula Figelski 4:17:39 Jean-Dany Joachim 4:45:10 Caryn Gordon 4:50:21 Ginette Mayas 5:59:59 Paula Figelski waxing eloquently: What a Difference a Day Makes It seemed like every weekend during the training period there was a good day and a bad day. The good day being my day off, the bad day... the long run. One weekend it was snow, the next - rain, then my most feared element - wind. The day of the 22 miler was gorgeous though. The wind was at our backs all the way from Hopkinton, the temperature - warm and the skies - partly sunny. I wished that were marathon day. Conditions on April 17, 2000 were not too bad, it could have been much worse. The bone-chilling temperatures and moderate head-wind was enough to keep me from discarding my tights and fleece top. I was dreading the assignment of the earliest bus to the Athlete’s Village but am now glad because it allowed me to secure a spot under the tent, snuggling with thousands of other runners. The late comers had to bear the cold wind outside and stand in long lines to grab a hot coffee and bagel. Finally, it was time to warm up and run the distance to Boston. Soon, I was basking in the moment. There is really nothing like it. The crowds, the cheers, the aroma of beer and burgers all along the route keep ones legs moving to the end. It's almost like you're doing it for the spectators. You don't want to let them down. I remember slapping the hands of the Wellesley girls and feeling a tingling throughout my body that made me feel like I wasn't even running. You know you've made it, when you see the "1 Mile to Go" sign. Then to cross the finish line... what a sense of accomplishment, exhaustion, pain, satisfaction. It's probably common to hear people say "never again", but when January rolls around, marathon fever sets in and everyone will be out there withstanding the elements again. George Nicholson: Went ok considering training wasn't as intense as it should have been. Had a tough time last year in the heat, so felt I had to respect the course this year and not push it to the limit. Finished 3:10 on the clock and 3:09 chip time. I'll be ready for it next year. Sanjay Ram: I made the cardinal error of trying out a massage device I saw at the Expo at Hynes on Saturday - "the stick". I had violated Rule #1 - NEVER EVER try out anything new, however trivial, the week before a big race!! While the massage felt good on Saturday, my hamstrings felt horrible on Sunday morning. I felt like beating myself with that "stick", as reached out for the Motrin bottle! Race day arrived, and I felt marginally better - but nowhere near well enough to do the mother of all marathons! My spirits were much damper than the cold, gray, windy morning as i tried to keep my body warm & my head cool.. Ran into Bob Boudrot, which cheered me up considerably..The start was better organized this year, and there was not as much shoving involved to get to the corrals..9 min after the gun went off I inched over the starting line..34 min later I hit the 5-k mark, still feeling no better..I tried to settle into some sort of rhythm, but my legs never really felt good till about mile 16, when i became less conscious of the nagging ache - maybe my mind was numbed by that headwind! I dreaded the hills - but there were Peter & Missy who propelled me up Heartbreak with sonic power! This was home ground for me, as I do most of my training runs in Newton..That stretch from BC to Cleveland Circle (Johnny Kelly's 'haunted mile') did a number on my quads..but i had to keep going as i couldn't let my friends at mile 23 and Melanie (my s.o) at mile 25 down..The end came, and none too soon! Thanks to all CRC members, who make it worth the while, and without whom I'd never be motivated enough..Hope to see you soon as I rid my muscles off the lactic acid!! Ginette Mayas: Bib # 15368. Boston Marathon Result: 6 hours (unofficial). I crossed the finish line a few minutes past 6pm on April 17, 2000. The first 9 miles were relatively easy. (That by itself is progress). It was an uphill battle starting at mile 10 all the way to the finish. The victory for me comes not from finising the race but from daring to even start. I wasn't ready to face the ultimate challenge, but I don't regret trying. Joe McCarty: 3:40:54 is my official time. It is a few minutes slower than I anticipated, but considering the throngs of people (I was #16,262) and the weather, I am not disappointed. Running this marathon was a great experience. The wind was brutal, but the crowds along the route were amazing and they helped more than I can describe. As I expected, the hills though Newton took their toll, but I actually felt good until Coolidge Corner (about mile 24). After that point I could feel my form slipping and the hamstrings tightening. I had the classic head down-grimmace on the face look for the last two miles. But making that turn from Hereford onto Boylston was amazing. As I said, I was right in the middle of the 3:40 crowd, so for most of the women on the course beating that time was necessary to qualify for next year's marathon. So, watching hundreds of runners race so they could come back next year was really inspiring. Other Races: Saturday April 8th (& Sunday the 9th!) 2000 Umstead 100, in Raleigh, NC Karen Claire on running 100 miles. Warning it may be contagious! I flew into Raleigh fairly early Friday morning, the day before the race. There was only one non-stop flight from Boston available on my airline of choice (free ticket) so I opted to take a 7:30 flight and not risk having my gear end up somewhere else. Besides, I needed to stay used to getting up early, anyway! Arriving in Raleigh fairly early gave me an opportunity to visit the REI store in Cary prior to checking into my hotel and attending the race registration. I went to the store and broke one of the biggest rules in running - never never never try new things at events, and certainly not shoes! Well, I threw caution to the wind and bought a pair of Montrail Vitesse shoes. I had read reports of how all the gravel/stones on the Umstead course worked over your feet, and had had the Vitesse's recommended to me specifically by Jeff Washburn, a finisher of Umstead '99 (and 9 other 100's last year!) Plus, Stan Jensen wears them too, they've gotta be good! :) I tried them on, gave 'em a run around the store a bit, and decided they felt pretty good. I also purchased a Columbia hat with a back flap to protect my neck from the sun. Saturday promised to *start out* warm, anyway! I checked into my hotel for Friday night, a Best Western very close to the park. I was looking forward to seeing a friend of mine from college, Stacie. She now lives in the Raleigh area and agreed to hang out and pick up the pieces whenever I finished running. Stacie needed to work until around 3pm on Friday, so I decided to go ahead and go to the park to register and find out where I was assigned to park my (rental) car the morning of the race (very important!). I had plenty of time to do that, return to the hotel to meet Stacie, and go back to the park for the pre-race talk and dinner. I figured the more familiar I was with the drive in the morning, the better! I drove into the park, and was greeted by a volunteer (who I saw out on the course the next day, I don't know his name though), who told me I was assigned to the Hills parking area. I followed his directions to get there...and had NO idea how to get to race headquarters from there! I was kind of turned around and started off in the wrong direction. This didn't seem like a good start to my adventure! I saw another runner who pointed me in the correct direction, and headed in to register. I picked up my race goodies - a t-shirt and a hat. Officially you got one or the other with registration, and I had gone all out and added money to buy both as pre-registration. I'm glad I did, as hats bought as pre-registration were embroidered with runner's names. I thought this was a nice touch (and reminiscent of a trip to Disneyland as a child!) I headed out of the park to meet my friend, and brought her back to the park. This time it seemed obvious where the HQ was from the Hills lot, and I felt kind of silly for my wrong turn earlier. The pre-race talk was the first I saw of the RD, Blake Norwood. He gave us plenty of entertaining information, and introduced the Umstead park ranger who be up bright and early with us the next morning. Blake asked how many of us were attempting our first 100 miler - so many people raised their hands! And it seemed like most of us were in the front rows of the talk. Dinner was served up by great volunteers. Spaghetti, salad, and ice cream and cake for dessert. At our table was a gentleman wearing race garb from the same races I had race garb from. Way Too Cool and American River - actually, he had a Cool Canyon Crawl shirt on from a few years back. His name was Dave Olney (I know now from the results). I would see him often during the run, but didn't know his name, and called him "Cool" when I cheered him on since he was wearing a '99 WTC hat. Stacie and I headed out fairly early, and I returned to the hotel to organize my things further. My car would be parked along the race course, so I planned to turn it into a big clothes locker, to be able to grab whatever changes in attire I might need as the day (& night?) went on. Weather was calling for a warm day early on Saturday, with a cold front moving in that afternoon, expected to drop temperatures dramatically (from 70's to 30's, I'm not sure what temperature drop actually occurred). I probably hadn't packed enough with me! I had brought plenty of warm things that I thought there was *no* way I would need (the past few weeks inspecting weather conditions in Raleigh seemed to have told me it wouldn't be *too* cold) but I wished I had brought more. Race morning...up at 3:30, a half hour before my alarm set for 4. I set about getting ready. I decided not to wear my tights for the morning, it was fairly warm out, and I figured it'd be best to save those tights of later (I was right!) I got packed up after my shower and PB&J bagel. I got to the park gate at 4:45, 15 minutes before the ranger would open it up for us, and joined the line of cars waiting to get in. I took advantage of this waiting time to set up my backseat locker room, including my good luck stuffed bear, Ludwig. Gates opened up and in we went. I was early enough to get a very good parking spot (I would run right by my car many times) - I wasn't sure if running by my car twice on every loop would be a good thing or not! I headed to the HQ building, geared up and ready to go! I wore my fairly new Ultimate Direction Endorfun vest. I seemed to be one of only a few with a vest on - at Umstead you don't really need to carry very much, but I thought the easy accessibility to my salt tablets with the front pockets invaluable. I had two Photon microlights, recommended to me by Steve Pero, and was wearing my new Montrail shoes. I also wore socks on my hands as gloves, a habit I picked up from my pacer from Run on the Sly, Jon Easterbrook. I hung out at HQ until it was time to go down to the water for the start. Standing in the dark with a bunch of other crazies...listening to bagpipes...waiting for the start of what might be my first 100 - it was awesome! Fireworks began the run and we were off! It was still dark when we started - I think this was a good thing, as it meant a slow start to the first loop. It was hard work to stay composed and go slow, but of course necessary for the long haul. I just realized that I haven't said to this point what my goals were for the day. Umstead is primarily run as a 100 mile run (I think I am directly quoting the race info here), but they do provide you (& report to Ultrarunning) a 50 mile split if you make it that far and don't go the full 100. I had run two 50 milers last year (AR50 and Run on the Sly) and was hoping to stretch myself further this time. I was hoping to give Vermont 100 a try this year, and thought (through the advice of my internet and sometimes in person coach, Stan Jensen) that trying for at least 70 miles would be good training for me. That was so far beyond what I had done so far...I wasn't sure what I could do...and 100 miles seemed like a long way! So...anyway. Loop after loop came and went...I ran fairly steady for the first 30 miles. 10 mile split times of I believe 2:08, 2:10, and 2:12 - at least I believe that is what Stacie reported to me when I saw her at mile 30 - she had dropped by to see how I was doing. Our plan was that she would return around 5pm, to see me (hopefully) finish 50 miles, at which point I would decide if I wanted to go on, and if so, she'd join me for the 50-60mile loop. I finished 25 miles in 5:30. Had I run even splits from then on (yeah right!) I would have finished 50 miles in 11 hours. I slowed down in the last 2 loops though, and came in around 11:30 hours - unfortunately I don't recall exactly what my 50 split was. One of life's little pleasures presented itself as the laps melted by...each 10 mile loop finished at race headquarters at Camp Lapihio. After finishing the loop, runners had to do a short out and back down to Lake Sycamore to begin the next loop, passing by the start/finish aid on the way out. I enjoyed waiting to stop for aid until after completing the out and back spur. This made the first mile a short one, and coming upon the first mile marker so early was a treat. (It's the little things that make such a big difference!) The wisteria along the course was beautiful - it smelled so good, particularly running down to the bridge just before mile 4 - there was quite a bit along the trail. I also enjoyed using my car locker room after 2 loops - changing my shirt and donning my protective hat made gave me a (somewhat) fresh feel. It was really warming up at that point, and I particularly felt it on the power line stretch between miles 6-7. An extra tidbit...I removed my gloves/socks from my hands during loop 2. The socks later fell out of the pockets of my vest...thanks to the guy who chased me down to give me one back, and thanks to whoever picked the other one up and put it on the trail marker for me to find later! Finding that second sock gave me something to think about heading into loop 3! So, the loops are going by and by...eventually it starts getting pretty windy, and the storm what was predicated was blowing in. I was advised after my third loop to bring some extra clothes along as the rain was expected to hit. I was glad to have my water vest on, I could store my Stevens Creek Striders long sleeve top (which I had worn for the first loop) on the back, in anticipation of wearing it soon. I actually didn't need it that loop - it had stayed warm, so after 40 miles I swapped my Striders shirt for a running jacket (it looked like rain soon!) I made the mistake of wearing the jacket to start out, it was too warm for that! I eventually stopped, took it off, and strapped it onto my vest. I had been chatting with a runner named Mike from Virginia off and on up to this point. He and a friend of his were running Umstead as training for Massanutten in 5 weeks! I was familiar with Massanutten from hearing my new Massachusetts ultrabuddies talk about it - a bunch of them are heading down to run that in a few weeks, too. I was running with/near Mike somewhere around miles 6-7 of the loop I believe when the storm hit. I remember it started out a little slowly...I enjoyed the cooling effects of the water, and contemplated keeping my jacket off for a while. Then it *really* started to rain!! I got my jacket on, and wondered how well it would protect me from the rain. I ceased to wonder as the pools of water gathered in the cuffs of the jacket sleeves - I was drenched! And it was COLD!! I basically just slogged it out until the end - if anything, I think the rain sped me up to finish the 50, as I was trying to stay warm. I met Stacie at the finish of the 50, and spent quite a while trying to figure out what to do. I was COLD! We went inside HQ, where it was warmer. They had a fire blazing, and somebody on a stretcher they were trying to warm up in front of the fire. So many people were having trouble from the cold! I spoke with a woman named Rebekah who had lapped me at my mile 44 (she was on 54) - she said that she was hypothermic and couldn't go on. I warmed myself up in front of the fire (still in wet clothes) for a while, had some hot coffee, and headed back to the car to change into dry things. I spilled some warm coffee on myself walking up to the car - the warm liquid felt so good on my cold legs! (I can confess that, right??) I started to get really chilled on the way, and asked Stacie to run up to the car to get it started. I dried off and put on TONS of clothes - my running tights, fleece pants, short and long sleeve polypros, fleece jacket(!) and big rain jacket! (New England runners who I ran the 7 Sisters trail with a few weeks ago, and who think I am a big cold wimp, should appreciate the high level of fleece I wore for the remainder of the run). I started using some handwarmers, and wore my biking gloves. I also changed from my Vitesse shoes - they had been awesome! No blister problems...but now they were soaked, so I changed to my standards, ASICS 2050's, and fresh socks. I sat there, warming up, trying to figure out if I should keep going. I was thrilled to have finished 50 miles (only my third!) I wasn't obsessed with the idea of running 100 - I figured I had my whole life to try and do that! I think ultimately this may have been a big help in my finishing - because I wasn't super stressed about it. I decided to go for at least one more loop - push myself to ~100K, further than I'd gone before. I had been resting/warming up for an hour now - it was around 6:30pm. Stacie joined me for that loop, and we had a goofy great time. We finished around 9:30, and I asked Stacie to call my boyfriend to tell him I was still going. After this I met my first volunteer pacer angel. (Stacie was a pacer angel, too, but she didn't have a choice!) :) It amazes me that people came in the middle of the night to volunteer to pace people! I am so grateful to all of them! And of course, the aid station and race volunteers who were there around the clock, too. Even the guy who made me smile every time I came in from a lap (don't know his name, either). I will return the favor in future events. My first pacer, named Heather, will be running in the Boston marathon this weekend. Unfortunately, I will be out of town, and unable to cheer her on. We finished our lap (60-70) around 12:30am...and she was planning to go to meet friends! (Oh, to be 23 again!) :) I met my 2nd pacer, an adventure racer named Craig. Unfortunately my blister free period had come to an end...Craig joined me as I went inside HQ to ask to have my blisters taped up. I had the privilege of having my feet taped up by Blake, the RD. I propped my feet up, he looked at them, and pulled out his knife. I sort of panicked - it looked like he was going for my feet! We laughed when it became apparent that he was going for the duct tape, to cut off a piece, not my blisters/feet. I was relieved when Craig later told me he thought it looked like Blake was going for my feet too - I may have been paranoid, but I was glad somebody else made the same mistake! Blake taped up my feet - and it felt soooo good when he rubbed them to secure the tape! Craig and I headed out for our 10 miles...I think it was around 1am when we left. My pace seemed to be slowing, but we made it thorough 70-80 by around 4am or so think. I had my left foot re-taped by a Red Cross volunteer (the duct tape had migrated). I then met my 3rd volunteer pacer (have I said how amazed I was that these people were there?!?) I think his name was Bill?? I have to confess I may not have been running at 100% mental capacity at this point, and don't remember his name! I do remember that he has a 15 year old daughter with blue hair though! Unfortunately the batteries in his flashlight had died, so we ran without the benefit of additional light. We did have the benefit of the sunrise, however. Yes indeed, I was lapped by the sun! :) I had been told that I would feel rejuvenated when the sun rose...can't say that I necessarily did! But I certainly appreciated being able to see the trail again. My blisters were really bothering me, so I tried to avoid all rocks whenever possible. We came in to mile 90 around 7am or so. It was weird to see people who had run the 50 mile (or maybe more) leaving their tents/cabins to head to breakfast - they had been sleeping! And to them, this was a new day, while it seemed like the same one to me! I met my final pacer, Ben, who runs the Umstead web site. I wasn't sure I'd need a pacer in the daylight (I was wrong!) but I knew I'd appreciate the company. We headed out, and I once again enjoyed the early arrival of the 1st mile marker. I recall when we got to mile 4 I said "4 down, 6 to go". Ben corrected me "*94* down, 6 to go!" - that helped a lot. I was definitely fading on this last loop - as Ben later told me, even my voice was fading, he had trouble hearing me near the end. But he kept me going with his loud proclamations of "98 miles!!", etc. He even told me I would run the last hill up to the finish...I though he was nuts! It was somewhere between 98 and 99 that Dave Olney passed, to finish a few minutes ahead of me. I was so happy for him, to see him go by, he looked so strong! His wife had worked the aid at HQ the entire time, and was a great help. Well, I guess this story has to end! We finally reached 99...I swore there was no way I'd run up that last hill, until I got to it, and I did run! I finished in tears of joy - it was awesome! Stacie was there with her friend Jon to take care of me, and help me pack up, return my rental car, etc. I definitely needed the help. I wish I knew more names of people to thank, all of the volunteers who helped to make this possible. Everybody at the two aid stations did such a great job! The Umstead folks made for a fantastic weekend!! I hope to return, either as a runner, or to help out with the event. Well, I guess this story has to end! We finally reached 99...I swore there was no way I'd run up that last hill, until I got to it, and I did run! I finished in 28:42:09, in tears of joy - it was awesome! Stacie was there with her friend Jon to take care of me, and help me pack up, return my rental car, etc. I definitely needed the help. I wish I knew more names of people to thank, all of the volunteers who helped to make this possible. Everybody at the two aid stations did such a great job! The Umstead folks made for a fantastic weekend!! I hope to return, either as a runner, or to help out with the event. Sunday April 30th 2000 The Jame Joyce Ramble Dedham Ma. Under sunny skies and a blustery wind, our CRC members rambled on. Most were happy with their times, among those were Drew Hanchett, Beth Bolyn and Missy Mendel who, by the way, was the 8th woman to cross the line. Christy Muldoon also seemed satisfied as her goal of 42 minutes was all but realized. (One must consider the time it takes to actually cross the start at this event. It is not unusual to lose the precious minute or two, especially if you properly seed yourself while others don't) Ranjeet, Shelley and Diane were available to give support to their fellow runner. Peter Gallimore made a valiant effort to attend the event but missed the start (and end!) by well over an hour! Better late than never, Peter! Drew Hanchett 37:46 6:05 Mark Woods 38:22 6:11 Missy Mendel 38:31 6:13(8th/8th) Ray Gonzalez 40:58 6:36 Will Riddell 41:45 6:42 Christy Muldoon 42:19 6:50 Sanjay Ram 48:24 7:48 Beth Bolyn 49:22 7:58