Projo Running Blog

Nixon finishes Breakers Marathon with big grin and a P.R. 2:24 PM Sat, Oct 28, 2006 | Permalink Carolyn Thornton    Email

We asked runners who competed at last weekend's Breakers Marathon and Nifty 50 Ultra Race Weekend in Middletown to share their experiences, and here's what Dennis Nixon - the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the University of Rhode Island's College of the Environment and Life Sciences - had to say:

"I am still walking down stairs a little more slowly than usual, but otherwise no lasting impacts from the race. I do not recommend flying through the night the day after a marathon. (Nixon was scheduled to speak at conference in Galway, Ireland three days after the race.)

"[The Breakers Marathon "Get Out There!" training program] was a big help and a great motivator to finish the race. I had only done one other marathon before, the Marine Corps in 1998, and switched to triathlon after that. While training for the half-ironman triathlon in Narragansett this year, I noticed that the training schedule for beginners folllowed the amount of running I was already putting in for the triathlon. Since that race was five weeks before the marathon, I figured if I kept up my base training and just added the long Saturday runs I would be able to complete the event without actually hurting myself.

"The plan worked: I finished with a big grin on my face some 17 minutes faster than I had done 8 years ago. Still not a time to brag about, but at my current rate of improvement I could be a real threat in about 10 years.

"About the race: To my surprise, there were very few Rhode Islanders there. I only recognized Mary Camire during the race. The course was beautiful, the water stops well manned and equipped, and traffic control was excellent. I would recommend it to anyone who simply wants to complete a marathon and doesn't need all the frills like a band every mile or a major extravaganda at the finish.

"Most impressive was meeting all the "50 Staters" who were there - at one point late in the race, I was passed by someone whose shirt advertised the fact that he had already run all 50 states TWICE and was now on his third round! That sounds a bit compulsive to me, but some of the stories were amazing. I was humbled by their experience. Many of the competitors went on to race again in Mystic the next day. Incredible.

"[The running] column kept me on track and was a great morale boost since I trained entirely on my own. . . . Thanks for a great race!"

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