8-Hour Just A Training Run
Windsor Castle Park – Smithfield, VA
November 27, 2021
Members of the Sloth Team attending: Al Shochet, Jo Ann Perkins and Lindsey Perkins
It should have been a harbinger of things to come when we went to our cars around 7 a.m. for the 8a.m. start time; there was a hard frost on the windshield. Fortunately, we knew in advance the temperatures would range from high 20’s to the high 40’s, so we had layered up. It was a smaller turn out than expected with only 100 entrants, and 15 no shows. Energy was high at the starting line and the snack table was full of all kinds of goodies. The course was a manageable 2.94-mile loop (or so we thought). Al had a plan of starting out with several 53-minute loops to get to a marathon for the day. With lesser goals, because of on-going injuries and more layers, Jo Ann and Lindsey hoped to get in 2-5 loops, with the outside chance of a half-marathon.
And at exactly 8:00 am the bell rang and the group was off. Al was hoofing it and left Jo Ann and Lindsey in his dust. As it turned out, Lindsey and (mostly) Jo Ann were at the end of the queue from the get-go and were being lapped by serious runners before the end of the first loop.
Snacks provided were great, ranging from savory to sweet, healthy to sweets which the dentist would love for you to eat, including hot chicken broth and even hot bacon delivered at 9:15 and 11:15. Heard it was great but faster runners hogged it all (including Al).
Lindsey drug Jo Ann around the loops with nary a break until early in the fourth when she took off at a faster pace. Even though we all thought we would catch up to one another at some point, either on a loop or on a break, the three never joined up again until Jo Ann staggered into the tent at 2:30 to find the other two team mates commiserating about their aches and pains and saying “I’M DONE”!!!
Windsor Castle Park proves to be a particularly difficult course as it is very hilly and winds through the woods with many tree stumps. But with a smaller pool of entrants, it was peaceful and the scenery serene and beautiful. We saw one runner go down and with tears in her eyes, needed help getting up, ripped leggings down the one leg; but by the next loop she passed us running!
Al finished up short of his personal goal, but still respectable at 6 loops (17.64 miles), and Jo Ann and Lindsey finished up, much to their surprise, with 5 loops each (14.7 miles) and just above a half-marathon; for a combined total of 47.04 miles; or just shy of the winner’s solo 52+ miles. All of our toes hurt (could hardly put them under the covers that night), from pressing the front of our shoes, sore calf & thigh muscles and knees from going up and down the hills.
We spent two nights at Smithfield Station, a quaint motel just across from the park. The only problem was that there was no elevator and we were on the second and third floors, which made it very challenging getting up and down after the race and the following morning for check-out. On the way down the steps to head home, Lindsey was literally crying and saying “this is absolutely my last race, I can’t stand this pain”. (She texted Jo Ann the next day asking if we were signed up for the January 8 hour JATR and asking why Jo Ann and Al were signed up for the June 10 hour JATR and she wasn’t!)
Fortunately, for all on our team, it isn’t about who we beat – but always putting our best foot forward and reaching our personal goals for the day. Tongue in cheek… A good time was had by all!
Shout out to Karen Sanzo, organizer of the JATR events, for the fabulous job she does and to her volunteers ~ a big thank you!