This was quite a trip. I think it will go down as one the the more memorable ones of the 50 states saga. I ran 4 outstanding races in as many states, drove nearly 3000 miles, got shook down at the Canadian Border, visited the Emergency Room, took an amazing bicycle tour of Boston, Toured the Sam Adams Brewery, and repeatedly gouged myself on Lobster, all in the space of 15 days.
As I said, all 4 races were well worth the effort it took to be able to run them. For the most part, it was a Great trip and there are only a few things I would do differently. Canada would be one of those things.
State 13 Pennsylvania
I left for my trip on Sept 17th and flew to Buffalo NY. I rented a car and drove to Erie Pennsylvania, for the race on Sunday the 18th. Erie Pa is in the Northern part of Pennsylvania, on the South shore of Lake Erie. Presque Isle, where the race was held, is a peninsula that runs out into Lake Erie. There is a national park there, and that is where the race course was located. One of the things I look for in a race is the ability to see wildlife, and I was not disappointed here. The geese were gathering in anticipation of their migration South for the winter, and as such, they were everywhere. I also saw several flocks of Wild Turkeys. The course itself was not as scenic as I would have hoped for. Most of the time, we ran on the main road which ran along the interior of the park and was not able to see the lake. There were a few stretches were we could see the water, and they offered some nice views. Crowd support was very little, and I ran most of the race by myself, which is fine with me. Like most of the races I do, If you need a lot of encouragement from a Loud Crowd, this race is not for you. The aid station volunteers were very supportive, there was some kind of competition among the aid stations. I am not sure what the prize was, but they were definitely competing. The Moonshine Station was my favorite. They were all dressed as Hillbillies, and had a Still, an Outhouse, and a clothesline with assorted underwear. They were very funny. Other than the aid station volunteers, there was very few others out. It was a cool and windy morning, and the races did not run through any neighborhoods. It was a great race in almost aspects. The one reason I was forced to deduct points from the overall rating was that there was no Beer at the Finish. For the record, in Order to get the Highly coveted 5 Star rating, there MUST be Guilt-Free Beer at some point after the Race.
Just putting that out there in Case any Race Directors are reading this and wondering how to improve their race's image. :0)
Upstate Pennsylvania was beautiful country. I enjoyed the drive through their wine country which encompasses most of that area. In between Erie and the Hampton's Run in Long Island, I went up to Toronto Canada for 2 days stopping on the way at Niagara Falls. The Falls were pretty Spectacular, and I had a gorgeous day to see them. (For the most part, the weather played along well for the on this trip. The day before the Niagara stop, it was rainy and dreary the whole day, as was the day after) It was the entire Canada leg of this trip that I would like to wipe from my memory banks.
Canada...UGGGGGGH
To start with, I got stopped and searched at the Border going into Canada. While in Erie, I had bought a 6 pack of Sam Adams beer and drank 3 of the bottles. When I left for Canada, I cleaned out the fridge in my room. I had the 3 beers, 3 pony size Diet Cokes and a couple bottles of flavored water. I put them all in a plastic bag and put it on the floor board behind the drivers seat of my rental car. When I got to the Border and stopped at the Check point, I got grilled by the agent. Where was I going, How long would I be there, and WHY did I come all the way from Houston "BY MYSELF" to only stay 2 days in Toronto when I didn't know anyone who lived there. I was asked if I had any weapons, Large amounts of Cash, or Alcohol in the car. When I declared the 3 beers, that is when the Proverbial *S* Hit the fan. (Actually, he was just looking for an excuse to Search the car.) This has happened before, I have been stopped and Searched in Ohio, and Louisiana. Being a Male, traveling alone, and in either a Rental Car, or in the Ohio case a car with Texas Plates, immediately draws suspicion. Under those circumstances, You just have to be smuggling, either Guns...Drugs....Little Vietnamese girls...or Something. Anyway, as soon as I said I had the 3 beers, he wanted to know if I had been drinking, I said "No". He told me to pull over to the curb, and immediately 4 guys looking like the Canadian Swat came out, and told me to exit the car and stand off to the side. They began going through the car. Thay took all my luggage out and emptied it, went through the car, under the seats, hood, trunk, and took off the Hub Caps. While this was happening I was being questioned by what must have been the leader. He wanted to know what was I doing driving with beer in the car. I asked what was the problem, I wasn't drinking it, It wasn't open, It wasn't even cold. He said it was illegal. I asked in what way? the mere possession of it (if so, then how did Canadians get their Labatt's Blue from the store to their house, or do they just drink it all at the brewery), or because I went across the border with it. He never answered that question. Even after they were finished with their search, and I was allowed to repack my stuff and put the car back together, the Ordeal still wasn't over. I had to surrender my pass port and cell phone, and go sit in their office while they must have done some half @ssed background check. Finally I was released. To show what BS this actually was...when I left, they didn't even confiscate the allegedly illegal beer. They left it in the car, and I drove off with it, and drank later that night at the hotel where I stayed. Profiling, Pure and Simple.
I drove to Toronto, only to find it to be dirty, mostly under construction, and extremely expensive. The only attractions were the Royal Botanical Gardens, (it rained the whole time I was there) and the Hockey Hall of Fame. (Is Hockey really a sport?..Really???) I stayed in my Hotel for most of the 2 days I was there. I ventured out only to attempt to find a decent reaustrant (Yeah Right..I was in the Muslim part of town, and all they had was Middle Eastern food, which I am not fond of). On Thursday, I was thrilled to get back to USA. We have our problems, but I am pretty sure I will journey to Iraq, or Somalia to visit the Pirates, before I go back to Toronto.
State 14 New York
The Hampton's race was another Good one. They gave out an outstanding collection of Swag, a very cool Tech shirt, a Lined stocking cap for Cold weather running, and a Great duffel bag, easily the best Swag I have ever gotten from a running event. They weren't able to beat out Rivercities Triathlon for best Overall, but they do get the Nod for Marathons. This races was well supported by spectators along the way. Mainly, because it must have been a target race for "Team in Training". TNT was out in force, with probably 50-60% of the field wearing Purple. All along the course there were TNT cheerleaders there to support their fellow team mates, and everyone else who was participating. I have a lot of respect for TNT, they have a very worthy cause, and they do a Great job at supporting it and the individuals who get involved with them. The course was a little Bland. We ran along the mostly heavily wooded roads. There was one out and back portion along the water, but other than that, not much scenery.
I was doing 2 races in 2 days, this one and Ocean's Run in Rhode Island the next day. I had 4 hours to do this one, but only 3 for the run in RI. I planned to go a little easy and save something for the race the following day. I went into this race thinking it was going to be a memorable race. It was, but not for the reasons I imagined. There were a number of factors that lined up to create the "Perfect Storm" for having a Bad race.
When I crossed the border from Canada to Buffalo on Thursday, I hoped my problems were over. As it turned out, however, Not Quite. I was supposed to fly from Buffalo, to Manchester New Hampshire, arrive at 1:30 in the afternoon and drive to New York for the Hampton's run on Saturday. It was about a 5 hour drive and I should have arrived around 7 Thursday evening. Well...my US airways flight leaving Buffalo, had mechanical problems and left late, causing me to miss my connecting flight in Philadelphia. Then bad weather must have set in in New Hampshire, because 3 flights I manged to get a seat on were all cancelled and/or delayed. I finally had to give up on US Airways, and got a flight on Southwest, which landed in NH at 7 pm, and it took me till 2 am Friday morning to reach my hotel in New York. Once there, I found out Travelosity had screwed up yet another hotel reservation, (4 out of the last 4.... all booked at the same time). It took about an hour to straighten that out, and finally get into my room. (Travelosity..NEVER again) The hotel I was staying in was 60 miles from the race, because that's the closest one I could afford. Race morning, I had to wake up at 3 to get ready, make the drive, and be there early enough to get one of the few parking spots near the start. Also, the weather was unseasonably warm. It was in the 80's and the humidity was 100%. The stressful travel day Thursday, Lack of sleep, Unusual weather conditions, and maybe a few more I am not fully aware of, all led to me not being ready for a good performance.
I remember while standing at the Starting Line, ready to go, that I was sweating profusely, and thinking "This is not Going to Go go Well"....and It Didn't.
I started out fine, but it didn't take long for me to grasp the concept that a New England "Flat Course" is not the same as a Houston "Flat Course". All 4 races billed themselves as Flat. (Pennsylvania is the only one that really was). Long Island was the hilliest of the 4. Around mile 6, my legs started cramping. I cut back on my run/walk ratio to try and get over the cramps, but they continued to get worse. By mile 11 I was down to steady walking. I reached the mile 13 sign and made the final turn to the finish line. I wanted to run across the finish line, but it was more of a Wobble. (A Webbles Wobble but they don't fall down, kind of thing). Any way, I had kind of a Shaky finish and was approached by two of the EMTs. They asked me how I felt, and I told them I was fine, just having some cramps. They wanted to help me over to the Medical tent, again I said I was ok, but they insisted. I sat down outside the tent, got some water, and had several of the volunteers talking to me. All this time, my leg muscles were visibly fluttering. Some one gave me a bottle and said "Drink This", I don't know what was in it, but it was the Nastiest stuff I think I ever tasted. I handed it back. I asked for more water, and received some that they had put salt in. I took a big shallow, not knowing it had been salted, and that made me sick. NOW....It was ON. They wanted to get me over to the Dr, because I was throwing up. I still maintained that I was fine, I just want expecting the salt water. The Dr wanted me to come in the tent and sit down and he asked me a bunch of questions. What day was it? Where was I at? Who was the President of the US? (I asked him if that was a trick question, Is Obama, really the President? one could argue) I kept telling him I was fine, except for still having the cramps, so he sent me to the massage tent to get massaged. The Best idea I had heard yet !! The lady worked on my legs for while but they keep fluttering. Finally, my whole right leg from the ankle to the hip seized up in a giant cramp, and she decided that something wrong was going on. She said "I have hit all your trigger points, and you are not responding" She called the Dr over and told him. He then told me that he wanted me to get an IV. This was beginning to be a little too much. I was felt like I was improving all the time, and I just wanted to get up and walk around. I was sure I would be ok. Well the Dr talked me into getting the IV, saying I was exhibiting signs of fatigue, my blood pressure was low, and my heart beat high. He said the IV would replace lost fluids and then if I felt ok , I could leave. I agreed, reluctantly.... then I found out there were no IVs on site and they wanted to take me to the hospital ER to get one. NO, I was not going to the Hospital, I just wanted to leave. The Dr then explained to me that when I entered the Medical tent, I was then under his jurisdiction. He felt that my health was at risk, and that if he released me, and if something happened, he would be liable. He wanted me to go to the ER, because he thought I migth be having a "cardiac event". I really felt stupid, because I knew I was not having a Heart Attack, as he seemed to think. I continued to say I wanted to leave, that I need to be in Rhode Island by 6pm. He wanted to know what was in RI, and I told him I need to pick up my packet for the race the next day. He laughed and said, "You"re NOT running tomorrow" I replied "Yes I am" He then guaranteed me, that I would not be running. I told him, "I may not Finish, but I guarantee you I'm going to Start". He sent me to the ER any way. When we got there, the nurse came out and asked me how I felt. "Fine, I want to leave" was my answer. She immediately started in on the Driver. I was the 5th one they had brought in, that didn't need to be there. She told him the DR needed to quit over reacting. She took my BP, said it was fine and told me to get up and walk around. I did, and she said I could go. Problem was, Now I was 3o miles away from my car. She said it was going to be about a 75.00 cab fare back. I asked about the other people who were brought in needlessly, and if they had left yet. If any were still around, we could split the fare. She checked, and found a couple from Pittsburgh. The woman had been admitted, and the Husband had their car. She told me he agreed to give me a ride back to the race. Unfortunately, the wife had passed out about a quater mile for m the finsih line, and actually needed treatment. We had to wait about 3 hours for them to get her blood work back before we could leave.
In summation, I liked the race. It had the best Swag, there was a lot of support from the crowd, and it was well managed (other than the over zealous DR. I'm not sure I can blame that on the race director). I can't comment on the post race party, since I didn't get to participate. I do recommend the race, and would like go back to see if I could better my performance. However, that is unlikely, as I still have 36 more states before I begin repeating.
State 15 Rhode Island (From the ER to the Finish Line in less then 24 hours)
Of the 4 races I did on this trip, this was my favorite, even though it was the toughest one for me. At the finish line, I may not have looked like I enjoyed the run, but I did, at least in retrospect.
Ocean's Run, in Rhode Island is how a race should be organized. It was a small race, the course was very pretty, the Race Director was approachable concerned and helpful, and there was a Free Beer at the end. Result: 5 Stars with a snap. I had emailed before the race and asked if I could have bib #15 as this would be my 15th state, and was given that number. So far, this is the only race to do that. (Very Cool)
Not only did they have the usual aid stations, but there were also mobile ones as well. There were about 6 people on bicycles that had the front mounted wire baskets. The baskets were filled with water, goo, bananas and other assorted needs. They were continuously riding the course offering whatever you needed. An outstanding Idea(And again...Very Cool)
As I said...this was a tough run to do. Because of the ER fiasco of the previous day, I had to take the 6pm ferry from Long Island to Groton Connecticut. I got to Rhode Island to late to drive thecourse, and I missed the Saturday packet pickup. I had to get it the next morning before the race. Sunday morning was a little cooler, and the humidity was down some, but my legs were still pretty trashed from Saturday. I really wasn't feeling the urge to get out and run another 13.1. I was determined to, just wasnt looking forward to it. This race had a 3 hour time limit, and I was concerned that I would not make that. I talked to the lady about it and she said there was a little wiggle room there. By mile 4, my legs were almost completely Dead, and by mile 6, I had hit the wall and was reduced to walking. By the end of the race, I felt like I was trudging through wet cement, and truly believe that was the happiest I have ever been to see a Finish Line. Despite finishing at 3:19, I still got an official finish, and wasn't the last one in. Woo Hoo !!! At the finish, along with the Finisher's Medal, they gave us a HUGE coffee cup, and a bag of ground coffee, that smelled wonderful. I am not a coffee drinker, so I gave the coffee to a friend of mine, who said it is really good (just as I suspected), and I use the Huge cup for a cereal bowl. In the race packet, there was a coupon which could be redeemed for a Beer at one of the local Beach bars. That was one of the Best Beers I have ever had.
I am certain that there will be days in the Future when I encounter problems. Finishing this race despite the numerous reasons I had to quit, will give me the confidence to over come whatever hurdle I face at the time. I only wish that I had the New York Dr's address, so I could send him a picture of me at the finish line.
This was a Great experience, and a Great race. If I had to pick one to repeat, it would be between this one, and the Breast Cancer run in Florida. (26.2 with Donna) Actually, Florida would probably be first, but Rhode Island is a close 2nd.
After Ocean's Run, I spent 2 days in Boston, taking a tour of the Sam Adams Brewery on Monday, and a bicycle tour around the city on Tuesday. Both went really well. The weather for the bike tour was perfect, and I just missed the rain that set in the next day.
The remainder of the week leading up to the run in New Hampshire, I spent in Maine, right outside Bar Harbor. Maine is a beautiful state, at least in the Summer and Fall. I'm not sure how impressed I would be with it while It's buried under 3 feet of snow for weeks at a time.
State 16 New Hampshire
The Smuttynose Rockfest in Hampton, New Hampshire was another Great race. Smuttynose is a local brewery in New Hampshire and it was the first weekend in October, so it was Octoberfest. There was supposed to be a big party in conjunction with the marathon. However, the weather turned from that of the previous weekend's warm and humid, to that of cool wet and windy. It rained the entire length of the race (constantly cycling from a Heavy downpour to a light drizzle), and up and down the length of the seawall, the wind was gusting. The course was a good one. We ran through the several neighborhoods and on the highway along the beach. Absolutely no complaints. The crowds were sporadic, but I am sure there would have been many more had it not been raining the whole day.
I started the run a bit nervous, wondering how my legs would do. I wanted to take it a little easy, but soon got my stride and ran my pace with no problem. I didn't get to stay around long after the run, as I had to get to back to the airport in Manchester to catch a flight back to Houston. As it turned out, I didn't miss much of an after race party, because the rain kind of washed that out. They did give us 2 tickets for free beer, but I only used one of them, as I needed to get going to catch the flight back home.
