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How to Survive the JFK
by Mike Velesz, 1996
"When we cross the finish line, I'm either going to give you a big hug, or I'm
going to kill you!" This is what I told Anna Bradford during one of the Sunday
training runs preceding the Marine Corps Marathon. The finish line I was referring to was
not the one behind the Iwo Jima Memorial; when we crossed that line, it would simply mean
another long training run had been completed. The finish line I was referring to is
located in Williamsport MD, and marks the end of the John F. Kennedy 50 Mile Race.
"Why would anyone want to run 50 miles", you ask? I can't speak for everybody
who has ever run a 50 mile race, but I can tell you why I decided to give it a try. To be
totally honest, it sounded ludicrous, and thus very appealing. I've come to realize in my,
albeit short, "running career" (a little over 2 years); that I will probably
never take home a trophy, unless I run a very small race, and am the only man in my age
group who is not suffering from a major illness or injury. I thought that running a
marathon would be enough for me, that I would be satisfied with completing a distance race
that many people would not even attempt, but as I trained for my second marathon, the
mystique had worn off, and I began to realize that running marathons was not enough. So,
when Anna started talking about the JFK 50, I thought "That's crazy, she must be
nuts, it's insanity to go 50 miles... I'll do it!"
A 50 miler is really not as bad as you might think. If you approach it with the right
mental attitude, you should have very little problem completing the distance. For me, it
helped to mentally break the race down into smaller, more manageable legs, and only worry
about the leg I was currently doing. With the JFK this is very easy to do, and this is how
I did it. The first 3 miles is on the road, from Boonsboro High School to the Appalachian
Trail. No problem, just a hilly 5K, never mind that the "hill" is actually a
mountain, and you climb up about 600 feet in just over a mile. It's only a 5K, nothing
more. When you get done with the 5K, you move onto a half marathon trail run. The best
part of this leg is that it's not even an entire half marathon, it's only 12.6 miles, and
some of it's on a road. OK, to be honest, very little is on road, but some of it is. The
scenery is breathtaking, or at least that's what people tell me, I was too busy looking at
where I was putting my feet to look around. When I did manage to sneak a glance, the
panoramic views did take my breath away, of course the fact that we were still climbing
through the mountains probably had something to do with my "lack of wind" too.
When you finally get to within a mile of the end of the Appalachian trail, you reach a
series of switchbacks that would make a mountain goat nervous. Remember that 600 feet you
climbed in the 5K, well its time to give it back, in a very short amount of time and
distance.
The third leg of the JFK is a marathon, plain and simple. An easy 26.2 miles along the
C&O Canal. The surface of which is much like the horse trail which runs along side the
W&OD. This type of surface, in my opinion, is nearly ideal for running a marathon. My
feet were very grateful to finally get off the rocky surface of the of the Appalachian
Trail. The terrain is also comforting, flat, with only a few very short very low inclines
scattered along the route. The one downside of this leg is that it can get rather
monotonous at times. At times I was convinced that I was rounding the same curve and
coming into the same aid station. Don't worry though, this isn't the case. While there are
an abundance of aid stations along this "marathon", no two are the same, each
has a quality and character of its own. The one thing to keep in mind along the C&O is
to take it easy. Don't try to run the entire time, you should take walking breaks if you
need to. What worked for us was to run into the aid stations, and to walk out. Another
option is to run for 5 to 10 minutes, and walk for 1 to 2. This is what I did for the last
few miles along the Canal.
The final leg of the JFK is almost a 10 miler. Actually, it's a little over 8 miles,
but it may feel like 10 at times. Once again, you're pounding asphalt, and climbing hills.
Don't worry though, these hills are nothing like the first one, these are rolling hills.
They may feel like mountains, but they're not, they only feel that way. You do need to be
careful on this leg, come of the drivers are not always willing to share the road with
runners, and there is not always a always a shoulder to run on.
As you near the end of the run, you enter the town of Williamsport, and upon climbing
the last hill, you see a most beautiful sight, the finish line. Don't look to your right
though, I'm told that there is a cemetery on that side of the road. Probably just a
coincidence... I hope. All in all, the JFK 50 is most satisfying and memorable races I
have ever done, and for completing it, received one of the nicest finishers medals I have
ever seen. This is one race that I recommend that everyone consider attempting, at least
once. In case you were wondering, Anna is alive and well, I gave her the hug at the end.
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