Vermont City Marathon 2009

Another Vermont City Marathon has come and gone. It's my 5th consecutive hometown race (the second longest such streak in the Aiken household... Alison has run the last 6), and it was a good one. Here are some notes from this year's event.

The Weather. Pretty much perfect from a running perspective. It was nice and cool -- like 50s and low-60s with a slight drizzle. The drizzle, however, did turn into fairly steady rain during some parts of the race, which weighed down clothing -- particularly socks. My feet felt heavy, and I could feel my toes rubbing starting around mile 6. By the time it was over, I had a nasty crimson-colored blood blister on my second toe. It hurt, but it didn't slow me down.

The Crowd. This year's VCM crowd was the best ever. Maybe people like rainy cool weather for cheering -- I don't know. But where the crowds were huge, people were loud. And there were not many places where there were no spectators. People were out, and they were cheering us on. My personal supporters were just as good as always. Knowing there are going to be people cheering you on up ahead is a major motivator to keep going (at least for me). And every now and then, you'll see people you know that you didn't expect. Those are big lifts. One of them happened at mile 19.5, when I really needed it. Thanks!

Personal Records. Both Ali and I recorded personal best times at this marathon. This is becoming a regular occurrance -- we've improved on our personal bests in each of our last 3 marathons. I'm sure one of these days one of us will have a bad race, but it feels good to have your best race. For me, I don't think I could have run much faster on Sunday. However, I intend to run faster next marathon!

What it all means. The Vermont City Marathon is just a great event. And, for me, it means summer is here. The VCM is something that motivates me all year round. I don't really care how I finish. But just knowing there's a marathon on the horizon keeps me active, eating right, and staying fit all year round. Now I'm ready to enjoy summer and get ready for the next big event!