quasify

I’ve been playing with the idea of running the Mad Marathon up in Waitsfield, VT this weekend. I got the idea a week or so ago when I saw a driveable race listed on the Marathon Maniacs race calendar, then noticed they offered 20% off for members (#4707!) & the option of late registration. My original plan was to drive up to Waitsfield & just sleep in my car somewhere near the town green, register for the race at 5:30am the morning of and just wing it. Hondo convinced me to look for a hotel nearby instead, so now I’ve found & booked one in Montpelier – 35 minutes away, so I can sleep horizontally until 4am, clean up & still arrive at the course by 5:30. So here I am, exactly 48 hours before the race starts, and this a real thing that’s really happening. Well alright.

Two things to note: their website says this is “The World’s Most Beautiful Marathon!”. Hard to turn that down. It also says “very, very very hilly” (see course profile) – this guy, this guy terrifies me a little bit.

It looked like a roller coaster drop. Our Volvo barreled down a precipitous drop, more than 45 degrees, only to hit the bottom and then climb right back up again. Seriously, we’re talking log flume amusement park stuff here.

A few “Holy shits!” and an “Are you kidding me?” later, I knew for a fact this would be a 4+ hour finish for me, and guessed the male winner of the race wouldn’t be any faster than a 2:45.