Foo Fighters

Artist's Homepage

New Jersey Shore Marathon (New Jersey)

April 27, 2003	Marathon 25, State #19 (Age 34)
Long Branch, New Jersey	3:52:56

https://www.thenewjerseymarathon.com/

This race features a total weekend of fitness and fund raising for Children's Charities.  Not only is there the marathon, but also a 10 mile fit run/walk, kids races, a fitness expo, and a marathon walk.

In 2003 over 1,800 runners were registered in the 7th annual New Jersey Shore Marathon.  The field is limited to 2,000 marathoners, so even though you can register the day before the race it's not recommended.

The course is very flat and offers a tail wind the majority of the race so I would recommend this race especially if you are looking for a PR or a first timer.

This race was extra special for me because I decided for my first time to attempt to run back to back marathons in the same weekend.  My Saturday race was in Delaware only two hours away.  I didn't know what to expect from my body for day two, but was pleased to run consistently 8-9 minute miles throughout the entire course.  Having great crowd support, a large number of runners, and frequent aid stations on a flat course where ideal.

One of only two New Jersey marathons, the Jersey Shore Marathon features a diverse, scenic point-to-point course along the northern New Jersey coast.  The first eight miles of the route loop through Gateway National Recreation Area, a.k.a. Sandy Hook, passing historic Fort Hancock, which years ago played a role in defending New York Harbor.  While skirting the shore of Sandy Hook Bay near 5 miles, runners enjoy a spectacular, across-the-bay view of Navesink Twin Lights Lighthouse.  While leaving Sandy Hook near mile 9.5 you encounter the only hill on the course, a 40-foot overpass leading into Sea Bright.  From the top of the overpass if you look backwards you can see the New York City skyline.  The remainder of the course heads along a straight, two-lane road through residential and commercial areas of Sea Bright and the three other coastal boroughs of Monmouth Beach, Long Branch, and Deal.  Along the way, you run along the Ocean Promenade in long Branch, past historic St. Michael's Church, and along Lake Takanassee, site of George Sheehan Memorial Monument.  The race finishes on the all-weather track at Long Branch High School's Bresett Stadium.  Ocean lovers may be disappointed that the course, with the exception of the Ocean Promenade, offers few oceans views.  [Craythorn & Hanna]

Nothing but greatness about the race organization and support.  Nearly every mile was an aid station offering both water and sport drink.  Since the race begins on Sandy Hook there is limited traffic flow in and out of this area.  Crowd support is scattered throughout the entire course.   Finishing in the high school football stadium gives plenty of room for all your fans to cheer you on at the finish line.  Food, massage, and tents for souvenirs are located at the finish.

The official race hotel was the Holiday Inn where also race packet pickup.  We found a hotel, nothing fancy, less than two miles from the start not on this list called the Macintosh Hotel for $80 / Night.  They did allow us to return at 2pm after the race for shower!

 

Triple Crown Trail Marathon (Delaware)

April 26, 2003	Marathon 24, State #18 (Age 34)
Newark, Delaware	4:40:34

 

This is a small event which seems really reserved for the more serious runners.  There was a large percentage of the participants from the 50 state clubs.  As simple of a race this is, it is very well organized. 

The race is located at White Clay Creek State Park.  The nearest camping is in another state park 13 miles away called Lums Pond State Park where my friend Mike and I camped in the heavy rains the night before.

This is a 2 loop trail marathon and much tougher terrain than a road marathon.  The course is marked with spray chalk on the ground and survey flags with additional arrows to clarify turns at trail junctions.   The race begins in an open meadow and quickly narrows to a single track for a majority of the course.  The scenery constantly changes every mile from dense woods, open meadows, and lots of hills!  There are a couple of stream crossings, the second one was especially high water over knee high in places.  There are six water/traffic control stations which are passed twice.  The course in my opinion is not terribly difficult, but it is far more challenging than a road marathon, especially given wet terrain.  

There is very little crowd support due to the fact that you are running through the woods for the whole marathon.  The only people you encounter along the course are where the course crosses a couple back roads and at the half way point where you make a turn around for the second loop.

This was a new challenge for me because I decided to attempt to run two marathons in one weekend.  Saturday in Delaware and then onto New Jersey, only 2 hours away, on Sunday.

I traveled with my good friend Mike leaving from Columbus on Thursday evening.  We got a late start so only made it 3 hours to Morgantown, WV where we camped for the night.  We checked in after hours and didn't realize until morning that we were the only campers and the campground didn't open until May 1st!

We ventured on to Baltimore and had lunch downtown at Hard Rock Cafe and then on to Newark, NJ.  Our campground had a large dog show which we thought would be entertaining until I began to rain steadily for the next 24 hours.  Because of the rain the course was extra challenging with the soft ground turning the course into a giant mud pit.

I was trying to hold back, but somehow finished 24th overall.  The stream crossing was a new experience for me.  I think I was the only runner to stop each time, remove my shoes, wade across, an then put them back on.  I guess everyone else's feet were already soaked from the steady rain all morning so they didn't care.  The first time I stopped I got passed by about 25 runners in a big pack, but they got lost on the trail and I managed to pass them all by not following their error.  

It was fun to talk to a few runners that have many more marathons under their belt.  One guy was running his 51st marathon in Alaska this summer!

Each finisher receives a medallion.  Race tee shirts are available for $10 each and are not included with the entry fee. 

There are several hotels that are in the area and the local Howard Johnson's offers a discounted rate for participants. There is no camping at White Clay Creek State Park however 13 miles away Lums State Park offers camping for $21 per night.  http://www.destateparks.com/lpsp/lpsp.asp 

 

Dada

Artist Webpage

I scored passed to the guest list to see Dada in the CD 101.1 Big Room. The big room is anything but big, it's an intimate room where artist play a close up and personal show for a small group of fans.

I brought with me four cd inserts and had them all signed by all three band members.

Pictures: https://cd1025.com/artist/dada

Ellerbe Springs Marathon (North Carolina)

March 29, 2003	Marathon 23, State #17 (Age 34)
Ellerbe, North Carolina	3:47:53

http://www.theboogieraces.com/ESMarathon.html?RL=1/

 

This is a one of the smallest marathons I've ever participated, but none the less one of my favorites.  The race is held in a little town 11 miles north of Rockingham called Ellerbe.  Just north of town sits an old Inn called the Ellerbe Springs Inn who hosts the marathon.  New owners had taken over the Inn last summer so this was there first production of the race.  There were 127 finishers. 

This course is a wheel-measured loop starting and finishing in front of the Inn. The race starts at 8:00am right in front of the Inn beside the white horse and the first 100 yards are a gravel trail that takes you to a paved country road.  At 7:50 there is a brief pre-race meeting and prayer.  This is a low traffic rural area with many farms and large tracts of uninhabited woodland.  Most runners consider this a hilly course.  I would say that the first half of the course has the severity of the hills.  Some steep and some that seem to go on forever.  All directional arrows were painted on the road in yellow paint.  All traffic crossings had monitors.

Excluding the first mile and one quarter of the race, the entire course is open to traffic.  I'm not a big fan of running in heavy traffic, but the rural roads that the course entailed were vacant from any traffic except for those caravanning along the course to cheer on their loved ones.  Needless to say unless you brought someone to cheer for your the only cheers will come from each of the aid stations where volunteers were happy to serve you.  There are 11 aid stations at approximately 3 mile intervals. Stations 1 and 11 have water only.  All other stations will have water and an energy drink.

This was another fun filled weekend for Brian & Homeyra.  We timed this race and travel over Spring Break for Homeyra.  We decided on the way to North Carolina it only made sense to ski both Thursday and Friday at Snowshoe Ski Resort in West Virgina.  It was the tail end of ski season but six lifts were still open and all trailed except one were open.  Homeyra graduated from skiing green trails to blue trails, by next year she'll be ready for the wild wild west.

From West Virginia we traveled through the mountains another 5-6 hours to Ellerbee.  We were able to pick up my race number and a nice carbo loading dinner buffet at the Inn.  There's not much choice for lodging in the area, but we found a hotel in Rockingham only 11 miles from the start.

Race morning the whole group of runners gathered on the front porch of the Inn to stay dry.  There was a slight drizzle at the start of the race, but after the popping of Burger King bag sounded and the race began the sun soon showed its face and continued to shine all day raising to about 75 degrees by mid day.  With only 127 runners it didn't take long for the crowd to thin out.  I figured I started in the top 25 and managed to move up about eight positions before the end of the race.

As usual I hadn't trained very hard, but managed to ease up all the hills and push on my way back down them.  I saved some energy and finished the last four miles pretty strongly and was very happy with my first in my age place finish.

From Ellerbe we traveled to Charlotte for the night and spent the evening with friends Scott and Richelle.

Each marathoner finisher receives a race finisher T-shirt at the finish line as well as a finisher medallion.  An awards ceremony follows the race in the spring house.  Plenty of southern cooking is available including chicken bisque, spring rolls, peach cobbler, fruit, soft drinks, and a keg of beer.  Top three finishers overall, masters, and age groups are all awarded home made pottery with your place etched in the bottom of the the pottery dish.