MDI Marathon

- 34th State to include DC; 42nd marathon

- Drive from Bangor to Ellsworth was very familiar - remembered a lot of it
- While the leaves were supposed to be at peak color they didn't seem too vibrant and there was not a lot of red - plus a lot had already dropped
- Race expo was okay for the size of the race - not a big expo fan anyway but the free bottle of beer from Bar Harbor Brewing Company was a nice touch
- Went into Bar Harbor - snapped a few pics, played tourist and searched for a lobster roll
-- Asked some locals where a good place to get a lobster roll and you'd think I just asked them the depth of the Makran Trench, (head scratching) to them all lobster rolls are the same - they eventually point me to Testas
-- Get to Testas and wow - $18 for a lobster roll and chips
-- Why wow? Maine Lobster Prices Low
- Skipped on Testas looking for a cheaper lobster roll
- Stopped to buy a souvenir and then asked the cashier where a good place to get a lobster roll - it was like me asking which McDonald's in the area serves the best Big Mac
-- Apparently all lobster rolls are the same - while they might be, some might have more meat, more mayo, less mayo, made to order, I could list a few more possibilities
- So I go to the place they recommend and it was the worst service and little tiny roll for $15
-- Also learned, not a fan of Pumpkin spice beer :(
- Stopped into an art gallery to buy a painting of some landscape but walked away with a still life of a white bottle on a table
- Make my way back to to my hotel, watch some football and then headed down for dinner
- YUMMY! Lazy Man's Lobster Campanile (lobster, pasta, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, oil) and nice white wine and oh yeah Summer Onion Soup
- Make my way back to my room and try and go to sleep around 10pm
-- Up at 11:15pm, 11:40pm, 1:23am, 4:15am, 4:40am and 6:15am with my alarm - nothing new for the night before a marathon
- Check the weather, 34F forecasted for the start, cloudy, winds out of the north 10-15 mph but thankfully no rain!
- Get to the start and I'm the only fool in pants, 98% are wearing shorts (with l/s shirts and winter hats) and one sane dude only has shorts and socks/shoes on
- At 7:55am we get to hear how scenic the course is and that it will be featured in the Jan 2010 Runner's World magazine
- 8am - we are off, it is flat for a 1/2 mile and then it was all up hill (at least it seemed that way) for the next 25 .7 miles
- Love hills, settled into a decent pace and enjoyed the scenery with one eye and eyed the oncoming traffic with the other
- Not really much to write about on the course except not a fan of open road marathons
- Still hanging in there when I come across an educational marker near the Somes Fjord at mile 16
-- If there is a marker on a course I will stop and read it
-- Kinda cool to understand what we were running by
- From there until Mile 24.7 it was mostly uphill, walked a little on one hill when I realized I was walking as fast as people were running
- Gotta go back to mile 11 and mile 21
-- Mile 11 - hear someone mentioned Tallahassee - six runners from TLH - good to have FSU fans on the course
-- Mile 21 - kept seeing this truck go by with Florida plates so I finally ask him, "Are you from Florida?" His response, "Go Seminoles, I mean Go gators!" There is always an asshole in every crowd
- Back to Mile 20->Mile 25 - this guy in the truck kept parking and driving away and parking, he was giving his buddy water and support and whatever else he needed (the go gator dude's friend was from Albany, NY area - spoke with him earlier)
- At Mile 23 I realized a time of 3:30 was slipping away from me and then I got a little inspiration, while the gator fan wasn't running, I could at least beat his friend
- Crested the hill at 24.7 (so said the sign at the "Top of the Hill" restaurant)
- After that, didn't see the white truck/gator fan again :)
- Got passed by another runner at Mile 26 and did my best to pass him but ran out of distance
- The last .2 mile - might has well been running the last .2 miles of the Egyptian Marathon
- Sidewalks filled with spectators, both lanes of traffic moving and a 1.5 foot emergency lane that was all crumbled, not a lot of good/safe running room
- Crossed in 3:30:49 - goal was under 3:30 but considering I wasn't trying to win, two days removed from a hockey game, wasn't gonna set a PR, I'll take it

-- Manchester Marathon up next (New Hampshire)