I had no idea, when I moved into my place at Gibbet Hill in Groton, that every summer weekend I would be surrounded by so many women wearing Easter egg taffeta.

The night before the race I was woken from a sound sleep at 12:30 a.m. by screaming bridesmaids and honking horns!   After yelling out my window to quiet down I settled back into bed…5 a.m. came much too early for my liking. 

Andrew and Evan picked me up around 6:45 to head out to Greylock. I love Route 2 and especially the Mohawk Trail, so I was looking forward to the drive.

Evan sat in the back listening to his iPod, and I had a nice little nap and woke refreshed.  Evan was excited to see the skatepark when we got to the road that leads to the Glen, and I was happy to know he wouldn't have to wait around for me to finish the race.  After parking and getting our numbers we milled around a bit waiting for the start and met some really nice people. Both Evan and I were a bit grouchy in the heat, but Andrew of course was his chipper self.  The 1/2 marathon started before the 5k….one moment Evan and I were talking about how much we hated the flies, and arguing with Andrew that it is totally acceptable to kill innocent flies as they harbor horrible diseases, and the next moment I was turning on my iPod and I was off.

I thought I remembered the course from last year's Greylock marathon but I guess I forgot just how steep the first part of the course was. I used to hate hills when I first started trail running, but I have come to find that I’m pretty good on them. I have learned not to lean too far forward when I hit them, and also to focus on the music instead of the pull on my hamstrings. The first hills were tough, but I felt good.  I felt a bit of stomach cramping at the start of the race but chalked it up to the chocolate fudge bar I had for breakfast.  I saw quite a few familiar faces…this is one of the things I like best about the WMAC series. 

When we finally hit the downhill I felt great – actually a bit too good – and I lost focus on my pace and just ran pell mell down the mountain. When I hit the flat section I knew I needed to slow down and watch my pace or I would burn out before the next set of hills.  I was really happy to have a series of Grateful Dead songs come up on my iPod during this part of the race and I couldn't help but sing along. The woman in front of me had an amused look on her face as I belted out ‘Sugar Magnolia.’ The fact I am tone deaf may have generated the amused stare.

When we reached that end of the flat section I had a sip of water and turned around to go right back the way we came.  I am a bit of an anomaly in that I never really drink water…I spend most of my time drinking coffee (not during a race but throughout a normal day) so a sip of water every 2-3 miles works out just fine.   

The run back up was not a problem.  Again I find that the ups and downs are my strengths and the flat sections for some reason are the toughest for me.  Throughout the first 10 miles I would pass a group of people on the way up and down only to have them catch up to me on the flat sections.  Andrew likes my mantra of "run your own race." I think of it when I feel the pull to try to push too early.  I don't worry about who passes me as I will see them again on the hills and they will just pass me on the flats ; )  This race was no different.  During the last mile, three women I had passed earlier blew by me on the flat section. I had talked with one woman at an earlier part of the race and had noted how fast she was on the flats.  When the race results come up I will search out her name as I hope to run into her again.  She was really lovely.  The last two miles were tough, but I ended the race with a bang and sprinted to the finish listening to the Foo Fighters.  I finished in about 2 1/2 hours and was really pleased.  I was happy to hear about Andrew's and Evan's race and even happier to stop at DD and get myself a nice hazelnut iced coffee for the ride home.

- Michelle Roy