State #27 Bristol, New Hampshire Marathon

Double Marathon Weekend

October 1st and 2nd 2016

What...we arrive at the airport at a reasonable hour of the day for a 1:40 pm departure on a non-stop flight to Boston on a new airline (new to us at least) Virgin American which includes free in-flight entertainment.  I do not even crack the book I brought to pass the time. An easy flight is rewarded with overflowing rental car shuttle buses crammed to the max~rush hour subway style~but with luggage and the longest line for our Budget rental car.  After maneuvering over to catch an empty bus and waiting an hour to get the car, a low tire pressure light flashes as we start the car.  Back to the counter we go to switch the car. The last thing I want to worry about is a flat tire. It is a good switch to a push start car with heated seats. Even though I am constantly looking for the keys the entire trip. Once we are on the road, we drive over the famous Boston Bridge and through the underground tunnel. There is a bit of traffic and road construction but finally we arrive in Salem, New Hampshire our stopping place for the night. It is after 1 a.m. and I wonder if the room is still available and it is, but they did turn away people that came in after us.  

Even though it is late in New Hampshire we are on California time and unwind with diet coke and a candy bar from the vending machine.  Good thing we ate a burger in the airport before the flight. I have a difficult time falling asleep so the television keeps me company until about 3 am. When we finally wake up, it is after ten, time to load up and make our way to Bristol.  Packet pick up begins at 4:30 pm plenty of time for lunch, hotel check-in and some sight seeing.  

Well as much as I love running, I love eating more...I will keep working on my priorities, but it is a bad habit to kick. We stay in Tilton which is about 20 miles from the marathon start.  Bristol is a small town with mainly bed and breakfast places. We stay at a basic motel instead. On the scenic drive to Tilton, we find "The Tilton House of Pizza".  

It is a very busy place. They take our order and the guy~must be the owner~behind the counter (heavy Bostonian Accent) asks if we want a shot of Captain Morgan in our cokes!  He is so warm and friendly the entire time we are there. The locals hang out at the counter as if it is the local watering hole. The atmosphere at lunch sets the tone for our time in the area. It is a welcoming place and the pizza is really good too!

We explore the area and check out the Titlton Arch.  The rich founder of the town, Charles Tilton, wanted a statue made in his own honor...and there it is!!

There are hints of color changes, but the full leaf color change is late this year.  

On our way to Bristol we take a longer two lane road to check out Profile Falls, but we get stuck behind school buses. At 2:20 the schools are letting the kids out, including high school and middle school. It seems surprisingly early compared to California schools that go until 3:10. The local police stop traffic to allow cars out of the high school. Only something you see in a small town. After a short trek to the falls, we find the cascading water.

With more time to kill before packet pick up begins, we take a drive to see some of the course and end up driving all the way out to the turn around point at Sculptured Rock. It gives us a glimpse of the beautiful lake we will be running around.

Since we make it all the way out to Sculptured Rock, my husband fascinated by geology takes a peek.  I can see rocks stacked up on top of each other and tell him, "That's it!"  Not amused, he continues searching until he finally finds it.

The drive back to town takes forever and it is only half of what we will be running in the morning. Why does it seem so far in the car?  Packet pick-up is super quick. The bright pink shirt is super cute and I try it on right there. The small is hanging on me and I talk with the race director.  They are able to find me an x-small.  I am by no means an extra small but it fits. The lady tells me that's because they are a feel good marathon. Some locals give us tips on our way out to the car.  Again, we feel the small town hospitality!

That is enough excitement for one day and we return to the motel. My husband is still full from lunch and I heat up my leftover pizza in the microwave.  The McDonald's has a sign for lobster rolls, but we refrain fearing fake meat similar to the McRib sandwich. If you have every tried one you can't forget the taste. The race starts at 9 a.m. in the morning.  Normally a late start is nice, but we have to drive to Portland, Maine for the second marathon of the weekend along with many other Marathon Maniacs and 50 Staters. Race morning is stress-free with a short drive to the middle school start.  As we line up, a local strikes up a conversation with me.  I end up running several sections with him. We jigsaw for the first half and when I make a pee stop, he pulls ahead. It takes me until mile 20 to finally catch up to him. We talk about what a nice place New Hampshire is to live and he tells me the state motto is "live free or die!"  This is also probably why it is the only state in the United States that does not require seat belts. I also run with a local lady who moved from Alabama to NH.  Her husband, a pastor at a local church, he is supposed to run it with her but a family emergency forces her to tackle her first marathon alone. She is doing quite well, but as we approach the half way point, she begins to struggle with her aching feet. I give her some pain relievers and wish her well.  I get the chance to run with some super nice Washington Maniac/50 State ladies in the beginning which helps pass the time.  I also met a 50 Stater who has only a few more states until she completes the journey in Maui.  I meet a super sweet lady from Santa Barbara, a city I call my second home.  She drove all the way from California to run the marathon with her 87 year old mom as her travel companion. What an adventure.  

I see my husband as he makes his way back after the turn around. I start to pick up my pace, but a very hilly course makes it difficult. The first half is either going up or down with very few flat sections. The second half is a little better but still hilly. When I see the mile 24 sign I know I am home free.  

There is one final climb to the stop sign before turning for the final 2 mile downhill stretch.  I start to fly through the final 2.2 miles with my fastest pace of the day.  I can see hints of my husband in the 25th mile.  As I approach mile 26, I see him walking up the final hill and do my best to catch him, but he is able to beat me by eight seconds.  He has no idea I am right behind him. I get my medal and walk up to him acting like I have been done for awhile. The look of shock fills his face until I fess up to the fact he beat me fair and square. We eat the tasty pizza provided before making the drive to Maine for another day of fun.