ROCKAWAY MAN RACES HIS WAY DOWN ALASKA MOUNTAIN
Kevin McConnell, 46, of Rockaway ran in one of the more extreme half marathons recently when he entered the Anvil Mountain Run in Nome Alaska on July fourth. Nome is the destination of the famous Iditarod dog sled race and the Anvil Mountain Run uses the same finish.
For McConnell, who is more used to New Jersey race organization, his introduction to the Alaska race was an eye opener. First there was a little problem getting enough sleep in the land of the Midnight Sun.
“The sun doesn’t go down so you’re walking around and you realize, ‘Oh, it’s one o’clock in the morning’”, he said.
Still McConnell was up at six to prepare for the 8:00 a.m. start. A modest breakfast of oatmeal, coffee and orange juice set him back around $8.00. Costs are about double what the lower 48 charge due to the transportation costs.
By 7:15 a.m. he was at the registration location but found it deserted. Around 7:30 a man arrived in his truck and began to get organized. So much for early registration. On the other hand there isn’t much to registration as there are no fees to enter and no T-shirt to claim.
Once all 18 of the entrants arrived, the race director gave pre-race instructions. It is pretty simple. They will run up Anvil Mountain, which has an elevation of about 1100 feet. The road will be paved at first, then become gravel and finally it will be a path to the top. At four key points each runner will be checked. At the top, it is a free-for-all to make your way back to the finish.
The runners can follow any course they want including going back down the way they came up but no one does that, according to McConnell.
“You could, but that’s not the short cut. The short cut is down the face of the mountain.”
The experienced runners, who have done the race before have no trouble finding the steepest and shortest way down. For newbie McConnell it was a different story.
“You ‘re up there and look down and you say, ‘gee, I don’t want to go down the steep way.”
Because the mountain is devoid of trees the checkpoint halfway down the mountain is visible from the top and McConnell just kept aiming for it as best he could. His concern was taking a misstep and twisting an ankle or worse. Running on tundra is vastly different from running on trails here at home.
“It feels like running on a mattress with springs missing,” said McConnell.
Weather conditions were perfect for the runners. It was in the 60’s and there was a good wind. This was a blessing as the Alaska mosquitoes that are notorious for their pursuit of blood, were not able to harass the runners due to the wind.
While the mosquitoes kept their distance, McConnell had a little trouble with another of the artic wildlife. Running too close to an Artic Tern’s nest, McConnell was harassed by the bird.
“I heard this errr, errr, errr – screeching noise,” said McConnell. “I see this white bird and it looked like a seagull. I looked a little closer, but not too much because I didn’t want this bird to peck at my eyes.”
Assuming a crouching sort of duck, McConnell kept on running as the bird went after him.
“He got within two or three inches of my head,” said McConnell.
Of the 18 who started the race, 17 finished. McConnell was 14th with a time of 2:29:25, which has to be a personal best since McConnell has never run the distance before.
He is fairly new to the sport and by his own account, a slow runner. But being slow does not matter to him so much as being healthy and having the energy to do it. Diagnosed with testicular cancer at age 29, McConnell remembers being so weak during his treatment, that he could hardly get out of bed. During the course of his illness he was diagnosed with Lymphoma and also sustained peripheral nerve damage that leaves him with a slight sense of pins and needles.
“I realize I can’t be a speed runner,” he said. “I have to compare my races to me. If I try to compare myself with the average age group sometimes I get discouraged.”
“But I remember when I didn’t have enough energy to go and get changed and go to the bathroom,” said McConnell. “I remember the time when I couldn’t even put my socks on and shoes and was totally exhausted.”
Those days are long past now, and McConnell has penciled in the Liberty Waterfront Half Marathon in September. He’ll see what running a normal one is like, but the lure of Alaska’s challenge is still there and he plans to return to do the Anvil Mountain Run again sometime in the future. Maybe the next time he will run past the musk ox and the moose that also inhabit the mountain along with the Artic Terns.
MORRIS COUNTY SUMMER SERIES THIS TUESDAY
The second Morris County Striders summer series 5K is this Tuesday at Johanson Field in Boonton Township.
CORPORATE CHALLENGE THIS THURSDAY
The Corporate Challenge 3.5 mile race in Morristown is this Thursday. If you do not qualify to run in the race it is a great spectator event.
Originally published in the DAILY RECORD of MORRIS COUNTY on July 17, 2005.
Copyright 2005 Madeline Bost.