posted Apr-17-2007 07:33 PM            

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posted Apr-17-2007 10:41 PM            

I especially like all of the clothing information, I find that fascinating and valuable.
Congratulations, and good luck at VCM!

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posted Apr-17-2007 10:51 PM               

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Good running!!!
Mike's Profile

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posted Apr-18-2007 08:52 AM               

It is so tough to adjust your expectations to match the training and prep. Coming off the mixed bag of conditions, training and flu, a sub-4 run in Boston is a good time and prep for Burlington.

Lets hook up at VCM if we can!

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busiman (formerly busyman)

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posted Apr-18-2007 12:17 PM               

Rest up and get ready for your next one.

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posted Apr-18-2007 12:20 PM            

You looked strong and confident not undertrained. Keep up the great work and taking us all along.

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posted Apr-18-2007 12:52 PM               

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Sue

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posted Apr-18-2007 01:09 PM            

~Mary

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posted Apr-18-2007 06:50 PM               

Reading some of the race reports here I'm amazed that some of you had PR's and CR's in that headwind. Bravo! I've got to read all of them. It looks like it will take a while... so many good stories this time around.

Thanks everybody.

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posted Apr-18-2007 07:55 PM            

It's fun to read the Doc Wu twist on the Boston marathon. Your insights are always original, and you tell it like it is. Given the lack of training and the excess "baggage," you really did quite well. Congrats.

Now tell me about the Vermont marathon - I'm seriously considering it this year. I have relatives in Swanton, Highgate, and South Burlington. Is it hilly or relatively flat? (I know it is Vermont) How many runners? Is it a Doc Wu best bet recommendation?

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posted Apr-18-2007 08:31 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by PBJ:

Now tell me about the Vermont marathon - I'm seriously considering it this year. I have relatives in Swanton, Highgate, and South Burlington. Is it hilly or relatively flat? (I know it is Vermont) How many runners? Is it a Doc Wu best bet recommendation?

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I've been telling everybody what a wonderful race this is right in my backyard (okay, twenty miles from my home in the country). People think it is hilly because Vermont is known for mountains after all. But the course loops mostly north and south alongside Lake Champlain and the hills are minimal. Miles 0 - 14 are mostly flat with just enough gentle inclines and descents to keep your legs from getting too static. There is an out and back on a closed highway from miles 4 - 8 that would be boring if not for the pleasure of seeing the leaders coming back at you and then you get to see all the stragglers behind you. The infamous Battery Street hill at 14.5 miles will take less than five minutes and really isn't that steep, it just looks ominous because you can see all the way to the top from the base of the hill. It's really minor, I run it three times per week and jeez, it's less than 20% of the length of the Boston Newton hills. After Battery Street and mile 15 it's basically flat all the way to the finish with a steep downhill you have to be careful on at mile 22. There are clusters of loud spectators from the start to mile 4, then again from mile 8 - 9, then again at Battery Hill. After that, it's pretty quiet for several miles and along the beautiful lakeside bikepath from 22 - 25.5 Suddenly 0.5 miles from the finish you hear a thunderous roar of several thousand spectators in Waterfront Park where you have to run to the end of the park then turn around and loop back to the finish line. This finish venue and the spectators make for a finish line experience that is rivaled only by Boston for noise and far exceeds most courses for the most scenic ending. I start and end 90% of my Burlington training runs right here.

It's been rated one of the top ten U.S. marathons overall for organization, course, scenery and amenities. There are 3600 marathoners, 650 relay teams and 200 two person relay teams. This makes for 6450 runners on the course if everybody shows up and it's a manageable amount and only gets a bit crowded on the bikepath if you're in the 3:45 - 4:20 crowd. The only negative is it's still New England and you know about how fickle the weather can be in springtime. I've run it the last seven consecutive years and three times it was in the low 50's and overcast, twice in the mid 60's by noon and twice in the low to mid 70's by noon. It's about 50/50 that you'll have a nice cool cloudy day.

Here's their website... But hurry! It looks like there's less than 100 openings left for the marathon. Hope to see you up here.

http://www.runvermont.org/marathon/index.html

Oh yeah, is it a fast course? I'd say you should run a time within two or three minutes of what you'd expect to run at Philadelphia, and that's regarded as a fast flat course. If you've run Philly you know it's not all flat. VCM is similar in that it loops in and out of a city, has areas of loud spectators at the start and finish, and has some stretches of seclusion. It's a lot like Philly but just on a much smaller scale and much better organized.

[This message has been edited by Doctor Wu (edited Apr-18-2007).]

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posted Apr-18-2007 11:26 PM            

Also had a good chortle about your Foo Fighters/Dr. Dale post in 'nuther thread. You should hang around more.

Good luck in your next marathon.

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posted Apr-18-2007 11:46 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Sans Souci:
I'm still wondering if you got your creme de menthe drink order at the Pro Station, Dr. Wu.

Also had a good chortle about your Foo Fighters/Dr. Dale post in 'nuther thread. You should hang around more.

Good luck in your next marathon.

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Thanks.

Hanging around here and keeping up seems like a full time job. I'll try harder.

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posted Apr-19-2007 04:56 AM               

Lou

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posted Apr-28-2007 12:16 PM               

Take care
Tall

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