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FLRC Newsletter - August 2004 |
| More Mount Washington | |
Lorrie definitely summed up our trip very well in her testimonial. The trek up Mt. Washington was both a crazy and exciting adventure. It felt incredible to be a part of something this challenging, and having a support team and transportation crew were a huge plus. The views from the mountain were amazing, and something I'll never forget.
I registered for Mt. Washington through encouragement from Lorrie, looking forward to the team aspect. I was skeptical since I did minimal hill training while preparing for Vermont City Marathon. I have been babying a neuroma in my right foot and my podiatrist was hesitant to begin treatment for fear of affecting my training. Running uphill can be painful since I naturally land on the balls of my feet going up.
Needless to say, the marathon took a bit more out of me than I had anticipated, and I have been feeling depleted and drained for the past few weeks, including bouts of nausea and dehydration. I have been frustrated, but was determined to tackle the mountain anyway.
We lined up on the start line in the rain. I had chosen shorts and a light long-sleeved shirt. At the cannon, I just began moving pretty slowly; this is a race I knew would take a lot of determination and I needed to pace myself. By the first mile the sun was out and I tied my shirt around my waist. I chose to walk through the aid stations and alternate running. Eventually I found myself walking, even when I felt I should be running. My foot hurt, and power walking allowed me to function heel–toe to keep moving smoothly.
As the trees grew shorter, the views were simply breath taking. This also meant that the wind had more access to us, and I put my shirt back on. By mile 5 I was getting a little disoriented and light headed, I'm told the altitude affects people differently. I struggled toward mile 6 and pulled my hat down to protect myself from the sleet and wind. My hands were getting pretty cold, and I had little material to protect myself. My hat flew off, and I had to run back to grab it. Soon fog covered much of the mountain, making visibility low. There was a least one area where the wind seemed to push from behind; I ran. The last 33% grade was tough, and I forged onward with a gentleman who carried a huge flag up the mountain. I hugged a runner at the finished who had been beside me for much of the race and entered the observatory more cold than I have ever been; there I found my team awaiting to warm me up.
Wow! It felt amazing to complete. Don Tily offered me his sweatshirt so I could get out of my wet things. Once we all made it back to the truck, Lorrie and I decided to run part way down. This time the breath-taking views were spread out in front of us, and it felt wonderful to run fast. Will I do it again? I feel I left a lot of room for improvement, and I am already planning training hills for next year. You just gotta try it once!
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