Heh. What a serious run, bwahahahahahah. Started in a pack with me, Max, Shaun, Mike, Chippy, Trix, Fit, Jean, Max, Wendi, and Renee. Got rolling, and somehow we lost Renee and Max immediately.

At mile 3 we're cruising along and some bozo decides to cannonball it down the shoulder of the course on the downhill, and almost takes out Chip. OK, at that point we let it go. No issues. Keep on truckin'. At mile 4, Rennick calls it a day, and gets loaded up with Wendi's camera and Shaun's jacket. Wish I had pitched my jacket, too. :( So around the waist it went....which turned out to be a good move.

A little later...we're rolling along, and Stake stumbles upon the previous downhill's bozo...err...and has a choice word or two. Bozo decides to mouth off, so we've got a steel cage match brewing. Allright, let's just run. :) But that guy was a knob. Anyway...

At about 7, I'm ready to DNF. The walk-run (as I mentioned in my blog) isn't working for me. I need to run-run or quit-quit. Conveniently, Wendi's off the pace, too...so I change my mission to running Wendi in with a PR...while trying not to sustain any permanent injury to my left knee. At this point, it was in tatters, so I'm pretty close to DNF.

Mile...mile...mile...we get to 14, and lo and behold, we've caught Chip / Aaron / Mike / Fit / Trix / BroChip on the mall, who had to stop to take a dump. Fit was really really happy at this point...and so were a few others. They promptly dropped us again...

Right about this time the wind decided to blow. Drafting helped. So I put my windbreaker shell BACK on, what a good move to keep it. Happy to have the extra layer; I don't think during a race I've EVER wanted to put an extra layer back on, but it worked for me this race. Heh. I got one over on the man.

More miles...past the Jefferson Memorial, then under the bridge where the guy was being CPR'ed / bagged / compressed. Whoa. That's one thing I wasn't prepared for at the BOP...is the pure carnage / bodies. At FOP or MOP, most folks are finishing, hurting, but finishing. At BOP, there are bodies everywhere, people strewn all about, stretching, barfing, requiring medical attention, you name it. It's a subtle reminder that it isn't so easy for everyone...and that we should value the efforts of those that it doesn't come easily to as much as the FOP'ers. I saw some fantastic stories, and was impressed as hell...

Anyway, got to 21, and Lane's there with cookies and diet coke. What a godsend, it was like ambrosia. Quick brown and back, past Lane again, and turn for home. Jean ran with us the remainder of the way (thanks!!), and the finish was an evil little uphill...but golden. Congrats to Jean for starting (and finishing, even with the gap in the middle :) ), and to Wendi for a PR and digging deep. :)

Nothing, other than maybe train. Even a little.

Finished, got a couple bagels and water and fought for a camo-wrap I didn't even get to keep. Caught a finishers' picture, listened to the WORST band in the entire world singing prince, and wandered up to the UPS truck to get my stuff. Then took the 90 minute Metro ride home.


It wasn't a race, it was training / pacing.


MCM is an excellent race in every regard. First, Congratulations to Chippy and Shaun (CubeFarmGopher), Rob (CaptainJackSparrow) for their first mary finishes in excellent times. A shout out to rrizzo and max for finishing on bum wheels / flat tires / bad legs; Also congratulations to Q for cracking 4 hours in his first serious LD attempt on pavement, and to Wendi for PR'ing. Props to Mike, Trix, Aaron, and Fit for pacing everyone and not commiting any felonies on the course. Troopers in every sense of the word.

Plusses: Organization, volunteers (the Marines) were amazing, Schwag (t-shirt, medal, coin, and amazing other stuff), expo (great vendors, lotsa stuff), scenery, BT population there, ease of transport TO the race site, UPS trucks for bag drop, course, proximity to reagan national.

Minuses: Getting home, that unbelievably horrible band at the finish, and the post-race party.

Bottom line: If you haven't done this race, Do It. It's amazing, and fun. I'll be back. :)