1996 JFK 50 Mile

A L S O :

The Angeles Crest 100 Mile

The Umstead 100 Mile

Towpath Page

The C&O Canal Page

The C&O Canal - Outside Magazine

C&O National Historical Park - NPS

C&O Page - Potomac Conservancy

I felt confident about my clothing selection. Capilene long sleeve shirt, windproof jacket, and on top, a long sleeve mock turtleneck with bib attached. Shorts and Sporthills on the bottom. Ancient, but reliable Bill Rogers hat, and heavy duty Thermaloft mittens. My plan was to get rid of the capilene, jacket, mittens and long pants coming off the Appalachian Trail, and run the rest in shorts, T-Shirt, long sleeve turtleneck, and lighter gloves. I guessed right. I was never too cold or too warm during the race.

At 15 minutes before 7, the RD suggested that we all move to the starting line on the football field below the school. The response from the runners was less than overwhelming, but after a few minutes, resignation set in and we eased out into the cold. The start was uneventful, and I ended up somewhere in the middle of the pack. Boy, it felt good to be moving. On the way to the trailhead, the Boonsboro early risers stared at us in disbelief, as they must do each year. I broke into a power walk as soon as the significant uphill began. We entered the AT on the top of South Mountain after a 3 mile climb on roads.

[T]he serenity of the early morning [was] shattered by a bunch of yelling, hooting, farting ultra runners.

The trail began with a nice downhill stretch to get us running again. Leaves and plenty of rocks, but the footing was pretty good. I ran well on the trail, and I think the work I had done on trail technique was paying off. In some spots I was able to *Kamikaze* the downhills, but the pack was still fairly tight where I was. At some point we passed two through-hikers who didn't seemed pleased to have the serenity of the early morning shattered by a bunch of yelling, hooting, farting ultra runners.

On the Weverton Cliffs switchbacks coming off the trail, none other than Lady G herself was there to spread good cheer. We had identified each other quite by accident the day before at race headquarters, followed by a rare treat for me - a spontaneous hug :-)))) I didn't have time for another on the trail, and I wouldn't have wanted the other runners to feel slighted. Lady G is as delightful in person as she is on the list.

I came off the trail right on schedule at 10:30. Vic Culp had been good enough to tell me about his training runs on the course, so I knew the time I wanted to do. Speaking of Vic, he ran an awesome race. Incredible, Vic. I made my clothing change, scrambled up the roadbank, across the road and onto the C&O Towpath. This was to be my home for the next 26 miles. It was nice to be on the flat, and the dirt was agreeable. The Potomac is beautiful up here, and the towering cliffs on the other side of the canal made for spectacular scenery. For a while.

The path never changed - every time I looked ahead, it stretched on into infinity.

Running the Towpath for that distance is the outdoor equivalent of running on a treadmill. It began playing on my mind. The scenery changed, but after a while it all began to look the same. The path never changed - every time I looked ahead, it stretched on into infinity. I had been on a run 5 minute/walk 1 minute schedule since coming off the trail. That got harder to maintain. I started to cheat and add 30 seconds to the walk. I was staying well fueled, though. I drank at all the aid stations and worked on my bottle in between. I discovered a distinct preference for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Someone identified the halfway point for me. 5:18. Hmm. Not bad, and that includes the AT part. My goal was to break 11 hours, and my morale improved a bit when I multiplied that by 2. But that didn't last long. A guy named Don Clark from St. Paul, MN was my saviour. We had been hopscotching each other for a few miles, and I fell into his pacing routine. I asked him what it was, and he grinned and said it was *Run when you can, walk when you can't.* I asked if he would mind if I fell in behind him and did what he did. He said *Hell, no. I'd like the company.* We discovered we had both run the Bull Run Run 50 miler back in the spring. I stayed with him to the end of the Towpath, and we parted company at the 41.9 mile aid station there.

In my only other 50 miler, I was down, both physically and mentally, between 30 and 40 miles. For seemingly no reason at all, I snapped out of it at about 40 miles. Now, the magic was happening again. Don wished me luck as I moved out ahead and began to work on the steep hill that would take me away from that damned Towpath. I passed half a dozen people on the hill, and I thanked the Marines once again for my good walking skills.

I looked left across rolling farm land to a beautiful sunset, which reminded me that I had been running all day.

Once on the country roads leading towards the finish in Williamsport, I began getting excited. The miles and times were a little fuzzy, but I knew I had 11 hours made. I was getting stronger, it seemed, and I fast walked/shuffled the uphills and ran all the downhills. I looked left across rolling farm land to a beautiful sunset, which reminded me that I had been running all day. There was a wonderful downhill stretch down to the main part of the town, and a guide to turn me right up to the finish.

Darkness was setting in, and I could see bright lights ahead and hear rock music. It was uphill, and I walked about a hundred feet to make sure I'd have the energy to finish strong. Then, I broke into my final run, all alone, but with the support of a lot of people. I heard my name and hometown being announced over a PA system, and I surged across the line. I looked up at the clock and what I saw was unbelievable. 10:25 and change. I had cut 1hour and 22 minutes off my previous 50 mile time, and with negative splits, to boot. I was about ready to hug the guy that put the finisher's medal around my neck, but I managed to restrain myself. ;-)

Damage assessment - minimal. Not even a tickle on my feet, so I'll consider my foot damage control system race tested, especially with the varied terrain on the JFK course. Sore quads, but not debilitating. I stayed well hydrated, and the electrolyte tabs, rock salt, and IB that I took probably contributed to a strong finish.

Following the list tradition of measured humility, I must ask one rhetorical question. Did I mention that I qualified for Western States?

Will Brown
Raleigh, NC