April 2017: My awesome running buddies Brandon and Tom come back from Roanoke, Virginia and tell me what an amazing race this is. Brandon loved it so much, he ran the DOUBLE. Starting at some crazy hour like 2am, he ran the marathon then started at 7:35am to run it again. BUT when a race puts "TOUGHEST Road Marathon" in its title, I'm just smart enough to think. "I'm not sure I need to make 26.2 miles MORE DIFFICULT???" I love earning titles. I love challenges. I needed to knock Virginia of my states I've run marathons in. So I decided to run this in 2018. At the Horsey Hundred cycling event, I talked Kevin into joining me. I've been told I have a way of influencing people into crazy hard events.
Friday morning at 8:30am, we leave Dayton. It was a beautiful 6 hour drive through Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia. Small detail that's important to me, we had lunch at Shoney's in West Virginia. There were 3 options to eat at, Shoney's, McDonalds or Arbys. When I was growing up, with 3 siblings, my parents loved that kids eat free at Shoney's. As a parent now, and knowing that maybe money may have been tight at times, I see the value in this. But as a kid, I started to dislike Shoney's. Seemed like the same old food options to me. So when Kevin suggested Shoney's, I said I had to get over my childhood dislike and at least try it. Turned out to be very good steak and baked potato. Salad bar was nice with fruit! So, Shoney's is off my "dislike list" now. I digress.
Driving through the mountains was awesome. Just beautiful with green leaves and these gorgeous purple flowers blooming everywhere. We had 2 "slow downs" but never a real traffic jam. 6 hour drive went quick! Kevin and I have been training together for 3 years now and we have the same views on a lot of topics. We just talked the whole time, or he did some work on his laptop while I enjoyed the scenery. In the back of my mind though, I was kind of nervous. I had run up and down hills the last couple of months trying to train for this race, but had I done enough??? That's a typical question athletes ask themselves before a race. The mind starts to wonder. Is this going to be the hardest race I've ever done? What if I cramp? Is it really 7430 ft up and down?
From the website--
MARATHON COURSE DESCRIPTION & MAPS:
- Full Marathon is limited to 750 runners
- Total Elevation Gain/Loss=7,430 ft
Last weekend I biked 7,000 ft elevation on my trainer. I was cooked afterwards. How the heck was I going to run that up and down?? The only answer was the same as
I knew Kevin and I would help push/pull each other from start line to finish line. If one faltered, the other picked up. One mile, one step at a time. Kevin and I agreed we weren't going for a fast time, we were going to complete the challenge and enjoy the journey. We got to the expo and picked up our packets. We figured out pretty quick this wouldn't be a huge race like The Flying Pig or Columbus. But there was a good number of people here. They offer a 10k, half marathon, marathon and The Double Marathon, and a relay option. Lots of choices for runners of all abilities. Feetures is a race sponsor, so on top of the race shirt, you also got a free pair of running socks! Once we hit the expo, Kevin and I ran our daily mile then headed to dinner at Leonore. An Italian restaurant with delicious gluten free Chicken Marsala!! Back to the hotel where we had the view of the Mill Mountain Star.
From our hotel room, this Star didn't look all that big. But it was a symbol of where our journey was about to take us to. The course description said the 2nd mountain we climbed, peaked at the star. Originally it was a town Christmas decoration, but the residents loved it so much, it's a permanent fixture now. We had lights out by 9:30 and rested for the challenge that lie ahead of us.
The Hotel Roanoke was about 2-3 city blocks walk away from starting line. We got to sleep until 5:30am then started getting ready. I felt well rested and energized to be amongst so many runners! Bring on the mountains! We loaded our stuff into the car, then walked to starting area. We met a lady who decided to run this for her 40th birthday. This race would be her 18th marathon. Kevin and I agreed that's what we expected of other marathoners here. No first time marathon runner would pick "America's TOUGHEST" for their first marathon... would they?? We saw some Double runners finishing their first marathon of the day, just to turn around and start their 2nd marathon. Lines for porta-potties weren't bad. Corrals were self seated. Kevin and I picked to start kind of toward the back so we didn't go out too fast. National Anthem played and off we went. As it should be, We immediately started running UP HILL.
I thought, well this is appropriate. The street finally leveled off...for about a quarter of a mile. Right before the ONE MILE sign, we started up the first real climb. In a marathon, it's been my experience to see people walking around you, starting after mile 20. I'm not talking about us interval run walkers, I'm talking people have hit "the wall" and are doing the zombie death walk
(stock photo, not from Blue Ridge)
Going up the first climb, EVERYONE around us walking. It was steep! Tom had warned me to not let the first mile intimidate me. I was now experiencing why he said that. I was still willing to slow jog up, but at times, it was just a walk. And this climb was over a mile long. What a way to start a marathon! All around us was beautiful trees and flowers.
No vehicle traffic. Quiet and serene. Pure mountain with a paved road going UP. Right before mile 3, the 10k and half marathoners went right, marathoners went left. The crowd quickly was sparse now. The left turn meant we continued UP the mountain. There was a few down hills as we worked this part. There was an aid station with 2 guys playing trumpets. They were awesome! We made a left turn and worked our way to a volunteer guiding us onto the "4 mile loop to overlook" sign trail. "Oh good! Overlooks are usually awesome views!" I thought. "Of course, to get a great view, you usually gotta earn it." My mind was on point! It was like the steep grade we had been climbing was a warm up. Now we were walking up switchbacks! You could see runners ahead of you, over your shoulder. Because this was just up, up, up.
And then we got there, to the over look.
(it's my blog, you gotta deal with my ugly mug with the gorgeous scenery)
There was an aid station set up here. Water and Scratch nutrition, gummy bears, pretzels. Volunteers were amazing! It was easy to just hang out and enjoy the view. But we had 21 more miles to run. So off we went. And I was thinking that since we were at the overlook, we would start heading back down the mountain. NOPE!! That's right folks, we just went UP more. Another half a mile or so of calve working up hill! The views were amazing. God's Country was just gorgeous. That helped keep mind off the legs. Then came the next challenge..running DOWN the mountain! If you think running UP a hill is tough, try running DOWN a mountain. For those of us here in OHIO, we can't really train for this. Yes, we have hills. And that is close. But I'm talking miles of steep down hill descents where you don't want to slow down, but you don't want to face plant either. Kevin has an amazing way of flying down hills. He made me look slow here. My thoughts were, "we still have a long way to go, I'm saving energy and trying to protect quads and hamstrings from future cramps!" Brandon had warned me the down hills were just as tough as the up hills. He was correct! After the 4 mile loop, we worked our way to the other side of Mill Mountain. The course description said 2nd mountain climb led to the STAR. Sure enough, we found ourselves climbing UP the mountain. We talked to a group of runners who some were also triathletes. We talked Ironman stuff and met BRIAN. We think Brian was in his 60's. DUDE WAS IN SHAPE!!! Brian was a DOUBLE Runner. We were with Brian a lot the rest of the race. He was popular. He was from Roanoke and he was an inspiration! UP, UP, UP, we went. Finally saw a sign for the Mill Mountain Star! We made it! The star was HUGE!!
and there was another overlook!
(yes ladies, Kevin is happily married..sorry)
So we are about 12 miles into this thing, and I'm feeling pretty good! 2 out of 3 mountains climbed, I'm thinking we got this! The course description says 3 mountains in first 20 miles then a couple "big hills". As we work our way DOWN the mountain, there's a "Moo-Mosa" aid station. Kevin has his first alcoholic drink during an endurance race. We run under this cut through arch in the mountain that was pretty cool. Then we run past this huge mansion on the side of the mountain that under The Star. Very cool! We get to the bottom of the mountain and the race takes us to a park. The park is almost flat. It was completely different actually running a good pace for a while. In the back of my mind, I'm wondering where the 3rd mountain was. I certainly wasn't complaining. Then we get to this neighborhood section. and OMG how in the world they built all these houses on this incline is insane. Back to walking up this hill we go. The grade is ridiculous.
A little small talk with some other runners leads me to talking with a young man named NOAH. Noah looks young to me, but he's doing well. Noah tells Kevin and I he's wanting to go to a music college in Cleveland. Noah asks why I got into marathons. Since we had some time, this is about mile 15... I give him a quick run down of my weight loss in 2010, running and triathlon story. Brian runs by and I say, "That's Brian, he's a bad ass!" Kevin tells Noah how he completed Ironman Louisville with one eye and Noah says, "You sound like a badass!" Noah was correct, Kevin is a badass! Later on, I tell Brian he inspires me to go farther, he says, "I see your tattoo..thats something I can't put together. That's impressive." I love my Ironman ink! So after this long, I gotta ask, "How old are you Noah?" "18" 18!!! We don't see many 18 year olds out on marathon courses. It's just not usual for an 18 year old to want to run marathons. OK, "How many marathons have you ran Noah?" "This is my first. I wanted to run a marathon, and this was the closest one to me so I figured I'd make it my first!" "I like your MOXY NOAH!!" In my mind, I thought, this kid is crazy. He may have some real problems the last couple of miles of this thing. Noah asks if he can stay with us for a while. Kevin and I assure him he can hang out with us the rest of the race if he wants. We tell him our run walk run intervals and plan of just getting to finish line. Noah seems to like this idea and stays with us. It was great making a new friend who had a positive mindset and was "our kind of crazy!"
(Noah's before and him Finishing yesterday)
Along the route, there were a ton of these Joe Cobb political advertisement yard signs
(Michelle Bennet sign design)
At first glance, there's nothing special or wild about these signs. BUT when you run for more than a few hours, the mind gets hazy, certain things that may be worth a chuckle at best...become HYSTERICAL. After seeing so many signs, I bring it up to Kevin and Noah that I LOVE Joe Cobb! Joe Cobb has my vote, but at the time, I can't seem to remember what the hell position Joe Cobb is running for.Sure enough, we take a left turn, and there's another Joe Cobb For Roanoke sign! "FOR ROANOKE??!!!" Kevin says Joe Cobb isn't just running for one position, he's running for the entire CITY!!! Man, we start cracking up. Really laughing out loud! Praising Joe Cobb. Comparing him to us, because "he's RUNNING for the city, and we are RUNNING this city right now!" Just typing this out seems pretty ridiculous, but you do what you gotta do to stop thinking about the pain in your legs!
I distinctly remember saying, "This is bullshit! I don't think Roanoke deserves Joe Cobb! I want Joe Cobb for DAYTON!!!" Remember, I have no idea who this guy is or what he stands for. But we were biggest Joe Cobb supporters in Roanoke yesterday! About this time, I start to wonder if Noah thinks Kevin and I are nuts?? We seem to keep him laughing and never tried to ditch us, so we must not have annoyed him that much.
On a side note, Joe Cobb even helped us on our drive home.
So moving on, we work through the huge neighborhood incline miles 16ish to 20, up and down the "mountain of Peakwood". That was the 3rd mountain, though it was a neighborhood , kinda confused us, but hey, whatever. We work our way over a bridge and into another park. I start the feel the twinge of "cramp alert!" I inject another walk break to cool it down, and then start to stay on the run walk intervals. Its hard to walk when gravity gives you free speed down the inclines. But when legs are giving out, gotta not over do it. Kevin started taking the lead and helped pull me along. We come across one guy who is clearly drunk and was offering us "water" in the form of moonshine! He was a bit weird! Then about mile 22 we hit the Pickle Juice table. I initially pass it, as I hate the taste of Pickle Juice. But I go back because it's supposed to stop cramping. I downed the stuff as quick as I could. Kevin loves pickle juice and it energized him! We kept working toward mile 24. In the course description, it says to not let mile 18 and 24 sneak up on you. Well, after all that elevation we had already crushed, the mile 24 hill wasn't that bad. It was way shorter than all the other hills. It was steep but not that bad. We come across a couple who live on the course. They've set up a few tables and are cheering us on and offering beer! I stop to see what food they had. I first see cheese squares and take one of those. Then my eyes LIGHT UP!! I look directly at this lady and say "IS THAT SAUSAGE??!!"" In the way most people would feel if they just got the best present ever! She said take as many as you want! Best sausage links ever!! The people were cracking up. I graciously thanked them and continued soldiering forward.
Then we had 2 miles left.
The PIZZA song. So my legs are shot. I'm tired, it's starting to get hot out. I'm fearful of cramps. I need something new to think about. so I start singing out loud...
Everywhere we GO!
People wanna KNOW!!
Why we do this?
So we tell them..
I LOVE PIZZA I LOVE PIZZA
Pepperoni sausage chicken and mushrooms!!
Over and over and over...freaking weird mantra to have...I don't know where it came from. It's typical for me to want pizza after a long race so maybe my body knew it was coming?? Whatever it was, I kept singing it. Around mile 25 I asked Noah, "Is my singing annoying you?" He said "Nope, but I want some pizza!" and I replied, "Good! Because I wan't going to stop singing even if it annoyed you!" I gave him a big smile and kept on singing. After some thought, even if he thought I was completely outta my mind, it took thoughts off the legs and tiredness. I gotta hand it to Noah, most people would have "hit the wall" and crashed to a walking pace. We passed some people who had crashed into the wall. Noah kept our pace and went right along with zero complaints. We see the mile 26 sign and Kevin tells Noah, "You need to go ahead and get that picture of just you crossing the finish line! You only get ONE FIRST MARATHON FINISH!!" Noah picks it up and cruises through the finish line. Kevin and I finish high next to each other. I heard the announcer say, " Finishing now is Matthew Kennard, from Dayton Ohio, a Police Officer whose lost 80 pounds!" I tear up a little. Another marathon crushed. A blast from the past to remind me how far I've come. The thought that how many people helped and supported me to get this far, and now Kevin and I have helped a young man get to his first marathon finish. The awesome circle of the endurance community keeps rotating!
I love that the medal is a belt buckle. I don't think I have another belt buckle medal. Kevin and I agreed this was a fantastic race. Preparing for the TOUGHNESS, knowing it would be difficult, embracing the challenge, keeping a positive mental outlook...got us to successfully crush this. Blue Ridge should be a "bucket list" race for any marathoner. It's truly incredible. Easy to get to. Well run. Great aid stations and volunteers surrounded by nature's beauty. I'm not making this a yearly race, because it beat me up. Total elevation was around 3600 ft UP then 3500 ft DOWN. Thank goodness! That was plenty!
I have
Signs
Of
Running
Excellence all through my body. But if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you. Blue Ridge will challenge you.
To finish up, Kevin and I found the Pizza Pasta Pit which was freaking delicious! We made the drive home with no issues. Joe Cobb did provide more entertainment and I have a reminder set to see if he gets elected to city council. Yes, we researched him. What an experience! What a journey!!
I need some recovery time then sights get set to Ironman Chattanooga 70.3!!
Kevin and Noah, You 2 marathoners rock! Thanks for the memories!
Brittney, Heidi and Savvy, MY GIRLS!!! Love you so much! Thanks for supporting Daddy on his crazy adventures!!
