~26.2 mi @ ~13.3 min/mi

"Happy Birthday!" Dr Mary and Roadkill both celebrate personal milestones at the Clarence DeMar marathon in Keene NH. A mural honoring the local hero, "Mr DeMarathon", decorates a wall near packet pickup.

"Ooops!" In the porta-john, just before the race, new shorts reveal a design problem: Roadkill's cellphone slips out and falls into, uh, ...

"No worries!" Fortunately the phone is in a zip-lock plastic bag; it lands on top of a pile of relatively-clean toilet paper; the hole isn't deep; and there's ample hand sanitizer in the dispenser. Whew! Drs M&M pose for the obligatory back-of-the-pack birthday selfie as starting-line crowds gather.

The course meanders along country roads in rural New Hampshire. At mile ~3 cows eye passing runners. Autumn leaves have begun to change color. An acorn falls from on high and conks Dr Mary on the head. Ouch!

"No more photos, please — gotta run!" Roadkill meets multiple Marathon Maniacs today, attracted by the generous cutoffs, lovely terrain, and friendly race spirit. Fellow Rice University alumnus John Points is from Tulsa OK. A pair of maniacal ladies pause for photos at a bridge. Dr Mary wisely drops at mile 8 and accepts a ride back to the start from a helpful policeman.

"Thank you, Mary!" Roadkill pushes the pace in the final miles and comes in officially in 5:57, in his age group 25th of 26.

(trackfile) - ^z - 2019-10-12