It’s been almost a month, and I’m just now writing my Mad Marathon review. In my defense, though, it’s been one of the most chaotic months of my life.
September brought a move from Las Vegas to Oregon for my family and a health hiccup. (I’m OK now, but I had several rough weeks in a row trying to figure out what was going on). And in the middle of the storm, I flew to New Hampshire, drove to Vermont, ran a marathon, drove back to New Hampshire, and flew back to Las Vegas. It was a whirlwind two days. But I survived, and I crossed off a new state, my 40th in my 60th total marathon.
If I had known how crazy September would be, I probably wouldn’t have signed up and planned my Mad Marathon trip. I’m also incredibly happy that I finished it and survived.
I arrived in Vermont as the sun was setting on Sept. 11. It was surreal to fly on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The flight crew had a moment of silence. The entire day felt heavy. Then I reached my destination and drove three hours to my hotel.
Then on Sunday morning, I drove the final half hour to the remote town of Waitsfield, Vermont. And what a beautiful spot it was.
I picked up my race packet, and a volunteer explained the course to me. “You climb a bit here, you dip here, and there is a little bump in this mile.” Translation: this will be one of the most difficult courses you have ever run.
In mile two I realized it would be a tougher day than I realized. We went under a covered bridge and immediately started climbing a monster hill. One that had been described to me as a “little bump.”
The uphills didn’t stop for the next 15 miles. The final 10K wasn’t terrible — it was rolling back down the initial climbs. But for much of the race, runners just kept climbing up and up and up.
The spectacular scenery made the challenging hills worth the effort. We passed beautiful rural farmland along the mad river valley, and the surrounding green mountains gave a stunning backdrop. The Mad Marathon was the first race I’ve run where I was almost hit in the head by an apple falling out of a tree, and it happened more than once.
Because I hadn’t felt well for the week leading into the race, I took a conservative approach. That caution paid off. I finished with my strongest miles (it helped to be bombing back downhill), and I never felt like I was running out of my comfort zone.
My finish time of 3:22 wasn’t in my goal zone for a typical race, but with the difficulty and health issues, I was ecstatic.
I breathed a sigh of relief as I drove back to the Manchester, New Hampshire, airport. I’ve hit the point in my quest to finish all 50 states that my main goal is to finish faster than 4 hours. Everything else is just bonus.
So I survived, advanced, and now it’s on to my next challenge.
For any other 50-stater out there looking for a Vermont race, I strongly endorse the Mad Marathon.
Just get ready for some hills.