Cayman Islands Marathon Recap

Cayman Islands Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 1; 48th Edition
1,257.6 miles raced
104.8 miles to race
Race: Cayman Islands Marathon
Place: Grand Cayman Island
Miles from home: 1370
Course Difficulty: 2.5 out of 10
Course Enjoyability: 7 out of 10
Weather: 80s. Hot; Humid
Finisher’s Medal: 7.5 out of 10
Donations To Date: ~28k

• This race marked my 60th lifetime marathon.
• I have now technically raced in Great Britain.
• The inaugural Drake Well Marathon in Titusville, Pennsylvania on 12.23.06 has reached its capacity. Thanks to all the registered runners who made this possible! (For more info look here: www.fiddy2.org/dwmarathon.html)

In what could be called my first vacation or break of 2006, I picked a wonderful place to go if you love heat and sun and beaches. I do. Very much. In fact, many of my friends have stated how they were jealous I was running a marathon here. However, these many friends were not marathoners (or were not thinking when they said it) or they would know that no one would be jealous of running a marathon where it is hot and humid.

That said, I arrived early in the Caymans to take advantage of hopefully some downtime sun and surf. I did not want to waste too much energy before the race (for reasons both obvious and ones I will delineate soon enough) but I knew I could not pass up an opportunity to enjoy this tropical paradise. My original travel companion for the trip, couldn’t make it. Luckily for me another friend and multiple marathon supporter, Christine, was itching for some fun and sun, so she shirked all of her real life duties and flew to meet me in the Caymans.

A fellow marathoner Mike McPheters and his family made the trip to this race as well. After realizing we were on the same connecting flight I met up with Mike and wife Judy and their wonderful 4 year old daughter, Victoria. Looking over the race registrants we noticed we had a good shot at doing very well in the race. But there are always unknowns and late registrants so we kept our hopes low. Well I tried to anyway.

The wonderful race directors set up a few interviews for me and I pushed L’Arche Mobile’s connection to Fiddy2 as much as possible even when the questions continued to revolve around how crazy I am, etc. People still tend to be more interested in my times and how many shoes I go through than why I have chosen L’Arche or in why it means so much to me. Understandable. The former is a curiosity question while the latter requires a longer answer where I might ask them for a donation.

Christine and I met with Mike and his fam, as well as his brother John a med student down here in Grand Cayman, for dinner at an all you can eat buffet where you only pay for your drink. Leave it to grad students to find such a wonderful place!

A low key day on the day before the race led to me soaking in some sun and trying to wind down for an early bedtime. With the 5 AM start, I knew I had to be in bed by 8 PM to get a real good night’s sleep. This was helped by an absolutely great pasta dinner which was included in your race fee. I have run few races this year where that is done. Just another of many wonderful touches done by the race staff.

Soon thereafter I was back at the hotel, sleeping and dreaming of a win.

1st quarter: (3rd place overall; 3rd male)

I had been hoping that the warm temperatures which I experienced the first few days I was in GC would drop by race day. But upon waking at 3:45 AM I could see that is was not going to be the case. In fact it was the warmest morning of the few days I had been here! I knew it was probably going to be this way but given that heat and humidity are my worst racing enemies, I can still hope, right?

Now, to be clear, this is not a complaint about the weather because if you run a race in the Caribbean, you know it is going to be hot. It is simply a reality and you do your best to deal with it and hope that the race staff does their best too. And as I will tell you soon, the race directors held up their end with flying colors.

At the startline a sizeable crowd gathered consisting of, not only many racers, (the marathon field was nearly four times larger than the previous year, with a relay and half marathon thrown into boot, swelling the total number of competitors to over 300) but also countless volunteers and a surprising number of spectators. Pretty darn impressive crowd for a time I like to call O’Dark Thirty.

Soon thereafter the race clock counted down to zero, and with a hearty cheer we plunged into the dark void of downtown George Town.

In spite of the lack of sunshine, the RDs had strategically placed generator lamps to light the way on the course where there were no streetlights. As the first few miles clicked away in the darkness (it always feels like you are running faster when there is no light) it looked as if the race was going to play out the way I had hoped. You see, the previous year’s runner-up, another chap and I struck out stride for stride. Mike was right behind me as was his brother John who was running the first leg of the relay for his team (his team was in second place when he handed it off. Go John!)

As we approached the first turn-around (the course was a 13.1 mile loop run twice), first and second place overall were right in front of me and I felt good. I knew right now that a sub-3 was pretty much impossible. We were already teetering on being over that pace and there were 18 miles to go! Luckily my approach to the race was to run a negative split in the second 13.1 miles and beat my competitors and a sub-3 would have just been icing on the cake. So at this point, I was doing a good job of feeling out the competition and letting them set the pace.

2nd quarter: Halfway (6th place overall; 4th male): 1:36:25

As I made the turn around, I saw a male and female approaching me from the other way who were clipping along looking pretty fit. They looked totally in tune with each other and I assumed they would be competition for me soon. Little did I know that in about 2 miles they would pass me looking like a four-legged machine. We exchanged pleasantries but I was a little crestfallen as the two people already in front of me had opened up a sizeable lead. I knew that the course could get rough ahead (because of the rising sun, not the course itself, which was as flat a course as you are going to find. Seriously, it will give the Drake Well Marathon competition). But I decided to keep them in sight as long as I could just churn away.

As we neared the halfway point I could hear the footsteps of the lucky bastards who were finishing the half marathon. Also, right before the half, another marathoner, Julia (a sweet lady who I talked to after the race) caught up to and passed me as well. While my shin, which had magically stopped hurting the day before the race, had started to ache again, it was not this that was slowing me down. It was the rapidly rising sun and the humidity that I felt I was swimming through. I seriously envy those who do not get affected by the humidity as it just saps me. But I still felt good here as I passed through the arch of balloons marking the halfway point. An announcer shouted everyone’s name and hometown as onlookers cheered loudly. Away went lap number two.

3rd quarter: (5th place overall; 3rd male)

I would be remiss if I did not mention Christine and her wonderful support throughout this race. Earlier in the week, Audi, one of the supporters of the marathon, had generously presented me with the use of a car for the time I was in GC. With GC being a British West Indies Island, the cars have the steering wheel on the right side and you drive on the left. This was the first time I had ever done this and to do so in an Audi was to do so in style.

I also must comment on how nice the locals were in traffic because it was unbelievable. Their laid back attitude almost caused traffic jams to be started, as almost anyone making a right turn in front of traffic would get a flash of headlights from the oncoming traffic allowing you to pass. Green lights were ignored by those sitting at them to make sure that pedestrians, standing on the sidewalk long after it had turned green, were waived across. Amazing. Living in DC, you can imagine my shock. I thought perhaps it was a trick to get me to get halfway across before they gunned it and took out the Americans.

So, luckily, because the course was not closed to traffic (there was barely any at that time in the morning) Christine was able to basically drive the course with me and provide any support I needed. I knew I would not need much in the first lap but the second would be most necessary as I tired and the heat got worse.

The woman who had passed me right before the half and I stayed within a few meters of each other for the next few miles. However, at every said station, she would slow to a walk to grab liquid and I would end up on her heels as I would grab my liquid and go. Of course, stopping at the aid stations would have been perfectly acceptable as a contest was sponsored by the race to the give awards to the best Aid Station. With titles like “The Mexicans” where people were dressed in true Mexican garb, shouted lots of “oles” and did that crazy “Aiaiaiaiaiaia” thing which I have no idea how you possibly can do to Dr. McDreamy and the Nurse McHotties at “Cay’s Anatomy” where the fully *ahem* staffed nurses really needed to distract me less with their plunging necklines so I could run faster, there was ample support from these wonderful aid stations.

To top it off, not only were the liquids given out ice-cold (something I am sure the racers later in the day appreciated even more than I did) but full bottles were handed out along with your usual cups. This was just astounding as Gatorade and water were handed to you in abundance. There was absolutely no reason you could not be properly hydrated on this course. I was just astounded at this HUGE detail in a race only in its fifth year.

However, even with all of this aid, it was seeing Christine driving along in the Audi every mile that was so refreshing. Having a handmade sign hanging out of the trunk of the car, Christine would rush ahead to aid stations and get all of them to cheer for me: “ Go Dean!! Way to go Dave!” they would all shout in incorrect unison. It made me smile nonetheless. More importantly, was the towel we had the foresight to bring with us that she would hand to me to wipe off the severe amounts of sweat as well as the water I had dumped over my head.

Now, I have heard two schools of thought on sweating, one being that keeping the sweat on your body keeps you cool and another being that wiping it off allows your body to sweat again and in turn make you not as hot. All I know is that I had to wipe the rivulets of water off me as it was driving me crazy. I am a sweater and I know this in advance so I am ready for it (this is a fact I only learned after crashing and burning in my first few marathons but one I am well aware of now). In fact, at mile 7 I told Christine as I passed her that I was leaving a trail of wet footprints. And there was not even any water on the road!

But the largest help Christine gave was that as a spotter. She told me that the guy who had been in first place was in serious trouble. I did not think I had the energy to pass him but as she said: “It is mile 15 and anything can happen.” So I put my head down and took off. Soon enough, just as Christine said, the guy appeared in the distance. Before much more time passed both Julia and I sped by him, almost in unison. Christine had also told me that she thought that only the lead woman and the lead man were in front of me. This confused me to some extent as she described the lead man NOT as the guy who had been churning along with the female. As we approached the turn-around, the mystery was solved. The lead man and woman were in fact no longer the couple that had been running together the last time I saw them. Instead it was last year’s runner-up and her that were now running stride for stride. The other chap had fallen back, looked tired and vulnerable. As Julia and I made the turn, I stopped for a tall cool bottle of Gatorade for the final push and asked if it was too late to sign up for the relay.

4th quarter: Finish

It is amazing what hindsight does for you. I am pretty sure that stopping for that Gatorade was the worst thing I could have done. For whatever reason, my legs tightened and I seemed to lose a ton of energy. Moreover, Julia started to pull away and other competitors who I did not think were even close appeared running at me on their way down to the turn around. This combination of factors hit me like a ton of bricks, as did the sun which as fully in the sky at this point and just beating down. (I made a suggestion to the Race Staff that since we are getting up at for a 5 AM race time anyway, why not push it back to 4:30 AM. Thirty less minutes in the sun would work wonders for all of us. They seemed like it might be a possible idea so we will see!)

All I could think about was holding onto third place as my legs began to feel like lead and I once again hit that place in the marathon where I wonder why the heck I am doing this. Christine told me I had a two minute lead on the next guy behind me but I knew it would not last. Soon thereafter, looking like a sad puppy who did something wrong she informed me that he was now 50 meters behind me. She told me later that she really felt awful breaking that news. However, given my sorry state at this point I felt like it was an inevitable thing and was far from surprised. Sure enough, at mile 22, he passed me.

Around mile 23 I stopped and just started walking. It was a gorgeous view despite my rapidly ebbing strength. I grabbed the towel from Christine and my beloved Propel and sauntered along as I saw the guy in front of me start to disappear. I have to admit I gave up at this point. The combination of walking while drinking and wiping off the lacquer finish from my skin, as well as the energy depleted legs, made for a very slow next mile. Almost 10 minutes to be exact (I am pretty sure I walked for 45 seconds). I told Christine there was no way I could catch the guy but she said again, “You never know. Go get him. You look great!” She is an excellent liar.

However, after taking off (a term I use lightly as it was more like, leaning down on my legs and using them to push me forward in slow motion) I felt a little bit better and as I turned a corner lo and behold the guy in front of me was walking. Slowly! I had less than a mile and half to make up what seemed like an insurmountable distance. To make matters worse, sensing danger, he looked back, saw me charging and started running again. Damn you!

In a move that would keep her from actually seeing the finish but undoubtedly helped provide me with a surge, Christine stopped about mile 25, asked if I needed anything more (which I did not except to give her the towel I was holding) and told me to go get him. I just could not see how it was possible as we appeared to be running at the same speed but was going to give it a shot.

As we turned into the downtown area with twist and turns almost every block it was hard to tell if I was gaining on him. Around a round-about driving circle, next to an empty parking lot, dodging a truck filled with re-bar which as going to parallel-park in front of me regardless of whether it hit me or not, I charged on. The balloon arch appeared just head and the rest is a blur except for the finish times:

5. Rauschenberg , Dane Arlington, VA (US) 30 52 M 7:49 3:24:35
6. McGeough , Paul Grand Cayman, 40 65 M 7:49 3:24:36

Hardly the tape-breaking finish I envisioned the days before the race but an effort I am proud of nonetheless. My 5th top 5 finish this year and 5th top 3 overall male finish. The time was nothing I am proud of as it is my first non sub-3:20 since August when I was racing at high elevation but I will take it.

Usually my recaps end here but I have to add a few things about the rest of the race. Perhaps because I am on my way to the airport and therefore do not see the finish of most races but I cannot imagine many races have as finish like this As every racer came in the announcer would announce them and a huge roar would erupt from the crowd. Every. Single. Racer. All the way to the last two finishers at just over 6 hours the crowd more or less hung around in unison, talking and chatting and cheering every runner that came in. It was an awe-inspiring sight and one I am sure every runner was happy to be a part of.

As the Cayman press made a wonderful deal out of me running this race, I was posing for pictures left and right. I told them they need to get better stars to the island if I am that big of a draw! More importantly I made a lot of new friends and chatted with people about Fiddy2 and L’Arche Mobile and just life in general.

Upon receiving my 3rd place award I was moved to hear such a loud cheer from the people gathered in downtown George Town. More importantly, everyone got to see that not only did a local Caymanian win overall for the men but also the rare treat of a female spanking us all and winning the entire race in 3:06! Among many things I found in chatting with racers was that the couple running together did not know each other and that they just happened to have the same pace for most of the race. Julie Stackhouse was her name and not only had she run nearly identical splits (1:33:09 and 1:33:08) I was unable to find any previous times on her. This may very well have been her first! Dang!

With another day in the sun to relax I can only hope that I can recover some and prep for the final 4 marathons.

I fly to Dallas next week to run the White Rock Marathon. In addition, I get to meet a friend who I missed the opportunity to do when she ran Marine Corps about a month ago (man that seems like eons ago!)

Please donate to L’Arche Mobile at www.fiddy2.org.