36th Annual Falmouth Road Race Report

(Above: The harbor in Woods Hole. A great way to try to relax before the start of the race.)

I always underestimate how important the mind is when it comes to running. You might be able to do something physically, but the mind needs to be just as sharp and focused. Case in point--almost everyone hits the wall when it comes to marathoning. Some have been able to train themselves to not listen to their mind and just endure pain. I remember at last year's Philadelphia marathon, hitting the 20 mile mark in the Manayunk section of the city and saying to myself, 'I don't want to do that last six miles!' I was so familar with that stretch of the road. And, I didn't want to do that to myself. I had a similar experience at this year's Falmouth Road Race.

(Above: The 'green' corral and the start in Woods Hole of the 2008 Falmouth Road Race.)

I had a tough week leading up to the race. I traveled to western Pennsylvania for my uncle's funeral. While there, I found out that another member of family was also ill. I came back from western PA on Thursday. I drove up to Falmouth on Saturday morning. What is normally a six hour drive turned into a 8 1/2 hour drive. I missed the expo at that point. I had enough time to just pick up my number and catch the Falmouth mile. By this time, I had driven over 1200 miles in 5 days.

(Note: The Falmouth mile is run on the track at the local high school. There are separate events for men and women. In the men's event, three of runners finished sub-4:00 miles. I will post pictures from the Falmouth mile (and better pictures of the FRR course) later this week.)

I didn't sleep well that night thinking about things not related to the race. I woke up early and headed down to park my car to take the bus to the start line. As it turned out, the day was a bit muggier and warmer than I like. I don't do hot. I should say I don't do well in hot. But, it wasn't that hot. Actually, it was cool in the shade. It's more accurate to say I don't do sun. Sorry, I don't do well in the sun. And, it was sunny with little cloud cover. Miles 3 through 5 are on Surf Drive with little shade to hide under.

When I got to Wood's Hole, I was thinking about my hydration. Yes, I did the port-a-potty shuffle when I got to the start area. But, it occurred to me that only a few weeks ago, I did a 5 mile race and didn't worry about my hydration hours before the race. Why should this be different? Don't get me wrong. I was drinking enough water the day before. So, I made a decision not to drink while waiting around. This to avoid the last minute bathroom run before the start of the race.

But, I was bored. And, the Gatorade was in front of me. So, I took a cup. Plenty of time. Still and hour and half before the race. So, I drank. And, got in line. And, still I was antsy. So, I took another cup. And, got in line. There. That should do it.

The race started for me at 10:04. This year we were wearing a D chip. It's a disposable tag that, when folded correctly, is shaped like a D. (Mine was more like an O.) The D chip would record your official time. The race was not going to separate your gun time with your chip time. (Which lead me to think, was it possible to start at 10:04, 4 minutes behind the elite runners and still win the race?)

(Above: The two pictures above are at the mile 1 marker. Hard to see, but the top picture shows the lighthouse that is the feature of the race.)

I felt good for the first three miles. My first mile was an 8:30. Perfect. I didn't go out too fast like I normally do. Miles 2-3 are in rolling hills in the shade. I was doing fine. I was relaxed. Taking in the sights and sounds of the race.

After mile 3, starts the sunny part of the course. Around the same time, I was getting urges. From drinking at the start. So, my boredom at the start is going to cost me some time on the clock. But, there is nowhere to go except in the few port-a-potties on the course. Because, at this point, the course is crowded with spectators.

I spot a potty that was empty. But, I wasn't fast enough as someone jumped ahead of me. Do I wait? If I was running against Steve would I wait? I took two steps. Yep. I need to wait.

20 seconds went by, 30, 40, 50, what is he doing? Combing his hair? Finally! All in all, I estimated I lost about 1.5 minutes.

I started up again. And, then, nothing. My legs hurt, my body hurt, my mind hurt. I tried to will myself to continue but kept on stopping. It wasn't until a woman, who was a perfect stranger, tapped me on the back and told me, 'Don't give up! I know you can do it!' did I find a reason to continue.

At the 10k mark, I wanted to quit. I never want to quit. But, I was physically and, more importantly, mentally drained. I was going to walk off the course. Because I was hot and not feeling well. And, I see stretchers around. With people on them. No mas.

(Above: Just after the 10 mark, rounding the curve just before the final hill of the course.)

I took some water and sipped a little. I threw some on me. I saw the scene above. I knew it was less than a mile to go. I walked the hill. The race photographers were there. I didn't care. The race numbers had our names on them this year. I heard strangers cheering 'Joe' on.

(Above: The three pictures above are at the finish line.)

Believe it or not, my mini-cam spurred me on. I wanted to take pictures of the finish line from a runner's point of view. I crossed the line. In 1:07:30. I walked through to the field where refreshments were. Physically, I was fine. Mentally, I was drained.

At the beginning of the week, I wasn't sure if I should go. But I wanted to think about life. I wanted to think about death. I wanted to take stock and make sure I have my priorities straight. I needed to do this on my own. By the end of the day, I had my answers. And, I'm glad I ran Falmouth afterall.

(Notes: If you want to 'run' Falmouth, click on this link http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=SPORTS15

and it will give you an opportunity to view the course from start to finish.

Additional pictures of the race can be found on this link: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=MEDIA

As it turned out, I left Cape Cod early because it was raining on Monday morning when I got up. So, I stopped at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on the way home. (http://www.whalingmuseum.org/). Great museum. Really enjoyed it. But, it was pouring rain the whole time I was there. When I left the museum, I got caught in a flash flood. The underpasses on the way back to the highway were flooded. Cars were submerged on the side of the road. I went through water that was up to my door (yes, I know, stupidly) only to get stuck on the road because there was another underpass that was flooded. I thought for sure I was stuck in New Bedford for the day but some semi-trucks went through the water and started to push the water to the side. After about 1 hour delay, I went through with fingers crossed. Perfect end to my week.)