Wickham park Marathon

It was brutally hot as usual, low 72 F, high 90 F, dewpoint 68 F and sunny.
The recent fires meant no shade on much of the course. The marathon finish
rate was 39% with an average time of about 6 hours. Mark Henderson's goal was to break the marathon course record of 3:50 and then his own 50 mile record of 8:55 on his way to 100. He missed the marathon by 4 minutes, the 50 by 26 minutes, then declined to run any further. David Harper was the only other 50 mile finisher. He also declined, so the race ended with one stage.


33 starters
13 finished the marathon (39%)
2 finished 50 miles (6%)
0 finished 100 miles
0 finished 200 miles


Another Memorial Day weekend, another Wickham Park Marathon.

This was my third year. To train, following WP of 2005, I ran on Thanksgiving and once in December. It was an experiment to see if long distance cycling would be an adequate substitute for running. My goal was to finish 26.2 miles in under ten hours, beating my WP PR by 10 minutes or more.

Many of the same people return year after year. We claim it is "fun" and we are "having a good time." It's always nice to see familiar runners from years past.

My first three laps were uneventful. A gorgeous pair of Pileated Woodpeckers taunted me from ten feet away-posing on a tree, pecking for insects- saying, "Aren't you sorry you didn't bring your camera?" I mostly "ran." (I had a revelation at WP this year- I may be an endurance athlete, but I am not a runner. I don't think that matters, though.)

Lap four was the highlight. You know, when you read the FAQ, where it says:


Q. What is the biggest wildlife threat?
A. The gopher turtles might embarass you by passing you.


Well, I thought that was just hype, but coming down off the second hill by the soccer fields, I came upon a Gopher Tortoise heading down the same single track as I was. He began to run. I tried to catch him, but since I was only able to manage a slow painful trot, he had no trouble keeping ahead of me. He wouldn't get off the trail. Every so often, he'd plop down and rest, but as soon as I'd catch up, he'd rise and begin to run again. I pleaded with him, "Please, Mr. Tortoise, just let me pass you!" Stronger runners might have jumped over him, but that was out of the question for me. Perhaps if I had encountered him on laps one or two that may have been possible, but not now, with my knees screaming in protest. Eventually, I told him how I was planning on running many more miles, and unless he was prepared to do so also, he'd better let me go by, and he did.
Laps five and six consisted of a painful death march, better off forgotten. The cool thing about WP is the lollipop-shaped course- you get to see runners on the out and back, plus those who just plain pass you. I had about five coolers set up by my truck. I knew better than to think I could actually eat solid foods as tried in years past, and survived, nicely, on one Succeed! every 30 minutes, an eGel frozen gel each lap, watermelon and Coke in my cooler, and a few Pringles. Plus a big bottle of water and a small bottle of Endurance Gatorade. I tried a pack of Jelly Belly Sport Beans, which are my maintenance food on long rides, but they didn't go well with running- too sweet and too chewy.

On the final lap, seven, I just wanted to go fast. Which was hard, because my running pace seemed to be slower than my walking pace. I kept repeating to myself "Walk with purpose." I read that somewhere. At about a mile, I met a feral child, running barefoot. He'd been trying to keep up with Matt, but couldn't decipher the flour arrows. I taught him how to follow the course. He said he was just walking with me because he didn't think I could run. :-) He was quite interested in the whole idea of a run, for no reason, where you didn't pay to enter, where you didn't win a prize. I told him that the guy he couldn't catch, Matt, was a frequent barefoot runner. He eventually went off to try, armed with his new course-reading knowledge, to catch Matt, and I never saw him again.

I really wanted to finish in less than ten hours. It seemed possible. I tried to run, but it was pathetic. I calculated how many minutes I had left before the ten hour mark, 36, and began to sing "36 bottle of beer on the wall." When I reached zero, I'd calculate how many minutes I had now, and sing again "24 bottles of beer on the wall." Then "17." Then "11." I was sad that I didn't have anything more creative in me. I'd brought the iPod, but I've never run with one, just cycled, and I just felt like I didn't "need" it. Running is completely absorbing- I don't need external distraction like I do with cycling.

Finally, FINALLY the last little bit. The last bridge crossing. .75 miles to go. The last twisty woods with horrible log obstacles. The last Hell's Kitchen (abandoned stove top.) The last Grapes of Wrath. The last mini-Sahara Street. The last final dip, then popping out into the open, by the road, the finish line in sight! I felt a sudden burst of energy, the pain miraculously vanished from my legs, and I ran as fast as I could, the fastest of the whole day, to the finish! Some kindly people cheered. I appreciated it. Race Director Matt ran ahead of me to get my official time. 9:48, a satisfying 21 minutes faster than last year. As I told BF on the way home, at this rate of improvement, in only three more years I will break nine hours!

What a great day.

***************************************

12th Annual Wickham Park Marathon and 50, 100, and 200 Mile Fun Run Results.
Melbourne FL
May 28, 2006.

200 Mile Fun Run
No finishers.

100 Mile Fun Run
No finishers.

50 Mile Fun Run
1. Mark Henderson, 46M, Houston TX 9:21:11
2. David Harper, 42M, Clermont 11:54:06

Marathon
1. Mark Henderson 3:54:11
2. Steve Wheeler, 37M, Boca Raton 4:32:04
3. Marla Buechner, 51F, Jupiter 5:43:50 1st female
4. Keith Ball, 40M, Ft. Lauderdale 5:45:28
5. David Harper 5:52:28
6. Matt Mahoney, 50M, Melbourne 5:57:28
7. Cas Camara, 43M, Windemere 5:58:15
8. Jeffrey Stephens, 39M 6:02:48
9. Greg Guzman, 38M, Alachua 6:14:05
10. Sheryl Stephens, 44F 6:46:15 2nd female
11. Dave Howe, 57M, Villages 6:53:22
12. Stu Gleman, M, Wartburg TN 7:03:05
13. Nanci Levake, 47F, Alachua 9:48:32

33 starters

Both finishers in the 50 mile race declined to return for a second day.
Therefore, stages 2, 3 and 4 were cancelled.

Weather: low 72 F, high 90 F, dewpoint 68 F, sunny, UV index 10.

Splits 3.75 7.50 11.2 15.0 18.7 22.5 26.2 30.0 33.7 37.5 41.2 45.0 48.75 50.0
---------------------------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ------- ---- ---- ---- ----- ----- ----- -------
Mark Henderson 30 1:02 1:38 2:10 2:43 3:19 3:54:11 4:48 5:37 6:27 7:21 8:12 9:12 9:21:11
David Harper 37 1:18 2:13 3:07 4:03 4:58 5:52:28 6:51 7:50 8:48 9:48 10:47 11:40 11:54:06
Matt Mahoney 34 1:16 1:58 2:56 3:55 4:58 5:57:28 7:05 8:17 9:37 10:49 11:54
Jeffrey Stephens 43 1:34 2:23 3:13 4:06 5:04 6:02:48 7:07 8:15
Cas Camara 42 1:21 2:14 3:15 4:14 5:11 5:58:15 6:57 8:24
Greg Guzman 34 1:18 2:06 3:05 4:07 5:13 6:14:05 7:17
Steve Wheeler 33 1:07 1:44 2:16 2:53 3:40 4:32:04
Marla Buechner 40 1:28 2:14 3:04 3:58 4:50 5:43:50
Keith Ball 34 1:09 1:51 2:40 3:41 4:47 5:45:28
Sheryl Stephens 43 1:34 2:38 3:32 4:43 5:47 6:46:15
Dave Howe 57 1:55 2:53 3:51 4:50 5:50 6:53:22
Stu Gleman 42 1:31 2:21 3:13 4:17 5:41 7:03:05
Nanci Levake 57 2:08 3:27 4:57 6:34 8:25 9:48:32
Thomas Mayer, 37M, Melbourne 41 1:28 2:14 3:09 4:28 6:07
Joe Ninke, 37M, Sebastian 34 1:08 1:45 2:25 3:16
Eric deWeber, 25M, Boca Raton 33 1:07 1:45 2:25 3:18
Mitchell Hait, 44M 33 1:07 1:45 2:25 3:18
John Feasel, 50M, Vero Beach 47 1:33 2:21 3:15 4:36
Loran Serwin, 51M 38 1:16 1:59 2:44
Eric Friedman, M 37 1:18 2:03 2:59
Steve Szabo, 30M, Melbourne 42 1:29 2:26 3:38
Justin Feasel, 25M, Vero Beach 1:20 2:29 3:45 5:08
Janet Ritchie, Melbourne 33 1:10 1:52
Nick Cullison, Merritt Is. 33 1:10 1:52
Steve Wilson, 46M, Melbourne 49 1:50 3:00
George Haddad, M, Melbourne 37 1:16 1:59
Doug Scites, M, MN 33 1:10 1:59
Rick Wrijil, 51M, Port St. Lucie 38 1:33 2:21
Gary Castner, 60M 37 1:16
Carol Ball, F, Merritt Is. 38 1:16
Rick Suarez, M, Melbourne 40 1:29
Bill Stanley, 33M, Melbourne 50 2:36
Warren Caputo, 37M 53

What an epic adventure!! (I think that is redundant - I am sure it is, but I don't care.) Amazing. Good for you for being one of the few to finish that. I'll bet having the 600k in your "mental toughness bank" helped a lot.

Again: you rock!

Ow! that sounds like incredibly hard work. Well done! :)

I've been trying to decide which is harder, Wickham Park or the 600k. It is very, very close. I think WP is harder, because it's hotter, sweatier, I couldn't eat as well, because running, I just can't, I was trying very hard to PR so there were no relaxing breaks, I was in a lot of pain for about 50% of the time, there's no coasting like on a bike, no rest for sore muscles and joints ever, my quads just got tighter and tighter, I got this horrendous heat rash which I don't get, cycling, I chafed inside my thighs much worse than the longest ride, and under my arms, which doesn't happen, cycling. My feet were probably _not_ as sore as after the 600k. No hand/wrist/shoulder/crotch pain. My neck is stiff. I have pretty bad delayed onset muscle soreness, and freeze up if I sit or lie down for any length of time- after the 600k, I felt pretty good- it definitely wasn't a problem to go to work the next day. (I'm on vacation this week). But the 600k was LONG. Wickham park, no matter what, is over at 8PM. There is no next day.

While I was at Wickham Park, I thought about my alternate goals for this year: either run it in less than 10 hours, or run farther, possibly 50k. It seemed impossible to run even one more lap than I had, but maybe if I started out with that as the goal, it wouldn't have been. I'm happy to have reached two of my three goals for the year: the brevet series, (actually, I think _just_ the 200k was my goal!) and WP in under 10 hours. Now all that is left is Crystal River Triathlon Series. Swimming _and_ running- oh boy!! I missed the first event- same day as WP, so that means I have to do the Twilight Tri to get in my three races.

Top speed 15 minute miles for the first lap, which appears to be my fastest speed there ever! I'm not sure what to think about that...There _is_ a lot of climbing over trees, steep sand hills, whoop de doos up on ridges, rooty stuff. I guess for someone who absolutely doesn't want to fall down, that's not so slow.

Oh, I forgot- I posted my race report on the ultra running list, and someone from Team Slug asked if he could post it on their website... :-) I must be very slug-like!

Nanci

Nanci, you are a hoot and a half. I am glad to "know" you. I admire you for keeping at it, and would really like to know what a gopher turtle is, and how it can run faster than a human being.

Congratulations. L.

Wow, I am completely amazed. I can't even imagine doing something like that. Congratulations!

WOW! That is so impressive! You are a BEAST Nanci! Or rather... you beat the heck out of that BEAST on the run! HA!

Well, you did a great job! Be proud! Trimming 21 minutes off last years time? WOW!!!!

Oh... I laughed at this... "100 Mile FUN RUN"... "50 Mile FUN RUN". Fun? HAHAHAA!

I read this account on a website when I was trying to ID a turtle I found Saturday.

"Gopher Tortoises usually remain close to their burrow and when disturbed will often make a run for cover. The first Gopher I saw after moving to Florida taught me this. I was working one day and noticed a Gopher out in the field. I went out with my camera to take a picture. As I got close I expected it to behave like the Mediterranean tortoises I was familiar with and withdraw into its shell. Instead it took off running. I do mean mean running, stumpy little legs pistoning away. It was a sunny day and I guess it was fully charged. I got in front of the tortoise thinking it would stop and I would get my picture. Instead, it stopped, let out a noise like a deep sigh and tore off in another direction. I moved again and it resumed its original course and practically launched itself into its burrow."

http://tinyurl.com/gvhbj