Hot Rails to Hell

Remember how I wrote the other day that I hoped running the Cox Providence Marathon wouldn't be a repeat of the hot mess that was my race in '06 Vermont City Marathon? Well, unfortunately, it was. Worse, actually.

It started off with such promise. I got into Providence at 3:30 yesterday afternoon, listening to the Bruins-Flyers game on the radio. Right after I pulled into the garage, Marc Savard scored the game winner for the B's, but all I could hear through the static was that a goal was scored and it sounded like the home team because the big horn sounded. Anyhoo, I checked in and went to the expo next door to pick up my number. Turns out there was a GI Joe convention down the hall; serious nerd action going on, let me tell you.

I met up with my old roomie/BevTimes colleague Gail for dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant. She lives in East Providence now and we hadn't seen each other in probably seven years, so it was good to catch up. I was back at my hotel by 8 and hit the sack at 10, although there was some crazy art installation/concert going on outside that made it a little tough to fall asleep at first.

I woke up at 6 and it was cloudy out and 55 degrees. The local forecast call for temps to hit the 70s by 11 and 80 by noon. I got down to the start area by 7:20 and it was nice and cool out. I was hoping against hope that it would somehow stay that way, but I knew at some point I'd have to deal with the heat. My plan was to run for a PR for as long as I could and then hope that I had something left in the tank to finish with a decent time.

The course was pretty hilly, even though most of the hills weren't that bad. I felt good at the start and they didn't bother me. As I approached mile 10, I started getting some side stitches but was able to run through them. It wasn't a good sign, though. It was intermittently sunny but not too warm yet. I was able to keep up my 8:20-per-mile pace through mile 15, but then the stitches really started to bother me and I had to start walking a bit in the hopes of shaking them off. The next two miles were a struggle as the heat and humidity started to ratchet up. Then I hit upon the idea of trying to do a Galloway-style run/walk strategy to get me through the last eight miles. If I could do them even at a 5-minutes running/1-minute walking clip, I could still finish well under 4 hours. It worked okay for a few miles and I was feeling confident again. Then I hit mile 20 at around 3 hours and the old dreaded leg spasms began, a sure sign of dehydration setting in. I had dealt with this at Boston in 2003 and it was awful. I would stretch and walk a bit and try to run, but the cramps kept getting worse and more frequent. Finally around mile 21, I could only walk, with the occasional attempt to run lasting only a few seconds. So frustrating. About the only positive that came out of it was that it provided me with much fodder for my Salem News running column, which is due this week.

I finished in 4:31, a far cry from what I had hoped to do. I knew it was going to be hot, but I never figured I'd have to walk the last five. I certainly wasn't the only one struggling in the heat. When I saw the finish line, I shuffled in so I at least could say I ran over it. Some guy standing in the finish area told me that I didn't look I had even broken a sweat; I know he meant it as a compliment, but I wanted to tell him to STFU. I just shuffled past him and got the hell out of there.

So what now? I'm pretty sore and have a couple of blisters on the balls of my feet, so I'll have to ease back into running. Probably late in the week if I feel okay. No races on the near horizon. The next big things are Reach the Beach and the Salem Half Marathon in September, and possibly another marathon in October (maybe Baystate again?). For now, I'll just have to chalk this one up to Mother Nature being a cruel mistress.

Hell: