2021 Brunswick Marathon

Here's the story of my 2021 Brunswick Marathon, hazard by hazard.

Hazard 1 - Cops: Curfew ends at 5:00 AM, yet I want to start earlier than that. Even though it’s unlikely that cops would bother with busting a runner, I thought they might want to question a guy pulling in and parking his car in an otherwise empty lot near Panera (which is also adjacent to Panini’s bar) this early on New Year’s Day morning. Therefore there was a change in plans. Instead of parking there, I jogged a mile from home, over to the course, where I deposited my blue bag of water, making that spot on Jefferson Street my aid station. In retrospect, I probably should have worried more about cops pulling me over for wearing tights like these. It turned out that I did see some cops on foot near the high school. (“Watch out for the ice,” they said. “Okay, thanks,” I replied.) Other cops were driving around, but there wasn't much in the way of other traffic.

Hazard 2 - Drunks: I was conscious and aware that any drivers who aren’t cops that are out so early on New Year’s Day are likely to be drunk from the night before. And so when a car went by slowly, honking and with someone yelling loudly out the window at me (this was on 303, just after I’d crossed over), I thought they were probably just out from the night before. Later, when I stopped and talked with Andy and Michelle Wolff, they asked if I saw them go by, yelling and screaming at me. So it wasn’t drunk people after all. At least, I don’t think they were in such a state just before their own run.

Hazard 3 – Other Runners: I reversed course for every one of my four 6.55-mile loops, and I managed to spot Andy and Michelle going the opposite direction several times. I also saw Larry Orwin and Pete Kostelnick a couple of times. There may have been others.

Hazard 4 – Goose Poopsicles: The road in the back of the high school was not icy this year. Except for the frozen goose turdsicles. The stuff was prolific for a third of a mile or so, and it made the dance to avoid them kind of fun. Kind of. I didn’t see all that many geese during the run, but there were deer galore. Most were around Brunswick Lake.

Hazard 5 – Ice: The weather wasn’t too bad (upper 20s), and by starting so early, I managed to beat the freezing rain that started around 10:00 AM. Although there were a couple of icy spots, most of the course was dry. Except for Hopkins Park. It was especially unsafe for that half-mile.

Hazard 6 – Slowness: This, of course, is the worst hazard of all. I started and finished slowly, but I also ran slowly during the middle of the run. It turned out that my 6.55-mile loop times were fairly consistent, but not in a good way. I think my time (4:55) is probably a personal worst. Never mind that my aid station and necessity stops probably account for thirty or so minutes of that. Even so, I’m not entirely unhappy with the run. And the best part, as they say, is that it’s over.

Returning home with my blue aid-station bag of water, after the cool-down jog from the course.
Thankfully, I wasn't pulled over by the cops for wearing tights like these.