Comments

Marathon	Date	Comment
Richmond Marathon	3/3/2007	2006 Race - The Richmond Marathon was the first in my first ever weekend double. Needless to say, I didn't know what to expect from this so I took the first marathon very easy. The good thing was that it gave me longer to enjoy the race. This year, the tempereatures were record highs. There isn't anything that a runner can do about that, but the race can. They had numerous water stops in the second half of the race (the time when the temperature was getting higher). They also had these great party zones along the ocurse where it felt like the Tour de France as there was only a small tunnel to run through! I enjoyed the first half of the course better than the second half, becasue it was this portion where you got to see all the colors of the changing leaves and also to run by river. Touted as "The Friendliest Marathon," this race definitly lives up to that billing.
Mt. Rushmore Marathon	3/3/2007	2006 Race - The Mt. Rushmore Marathon has been running for 28 years, but had another face lift this year with a new course. Last year, the course ran from Crazy Horse Monument to Mt. Rushmore. This year, the course ran from Mt. Rushmore to Hill City. There was also the Crazy Horse Marathon that started at Crazy Horse, met up with the Mt. Rushmore Marathon at 10 miles and then finished together. My dad and I entered the Mt. Rushmore Marathon becasue we didn't have South Dakota in our quest for 50 states. So, this was intended to be a long run for me. What it turned into was a wonderful strength building workout. This was becasue of all the hills on the hills on the course. The first 10 miles were very hilly, with mile long uphills and downhills along the way (and some of them were really steep). Then we ran into Hill City on the Mickelson Trail (a 105 mile long trail similar to the Highline Canal). Just after the half way point in downtown Hill City, we started a six mile, 600 foot climb to the 19 mile mark. This was when it started to get really hard. That was followed by a run abck into Hill City on the Mickelson Trail. This downhill section was beautiful, but my legs were so tired from all the hills that i couldn't get it going so I just managed to finish without walking. There wasn't any food at the finish, which was a problem, but I was able to get food back at the hotel room. Overall, the course was beautiful, but it was the hardest raod course I have run.
American Discovery Trail Marathon	3/3/2007	2006 Race - The ADT Marathon starts at America the Beautiful Park, near downtown Colorado Springs at an elevation of 5,980'. This entire race is run on the ADT, half of which is paved and the other half is dirt. Luckily, I knew they course even though I had never run it before. I also got some good advice from last year's winner (who defended, running 6 minutes faster in 3:16) Tania Pacev. She told me to take it easy until 18 miles. That sounded easy enough, so I decided to take her advice. It seemed like I ended up having three gears. The first low gear I used during the first mile (run in 8:02). The next cruising gear I used from miles 2-16 (I didn't wait until 18). During this stretch, I hit all most all the miles between 7:15 and 7:30 (with one in 7:06). I hit the halfway mark in 1:37:00, which was right where I wanted to be. No, there is one thing that I must say about this stretch. The course goes south on the ADT for 2 miles to a turnaround. This stretch is all downhill, losing 100 feet in elevation. At this turnaround, you then run north on the ADT until the 15.5 mile marker. This entire stretch is gradually uphill to the 14 mile marker. You gain all most 500 feet and then it gets fun. From 14 to 17, the course is on the New Santa Fe Trail, which is very rolling, with some short, steep ups and downs that finally go away between the 17 and 18 mile marker. This is why Tania told me to wait until 18 miles before pushing. I didn't wait as I started to push at the turnaround, switching into my third gear, where I ran from miles 16-20. Since the majority of this was back down the hill, I could really get going (since I had held back on the climb to this point). I ran the last 10 miles between 6:40 and 7:00 pace, running it in 68:20. I finished maintaining that pace (6:51 last mile) in 3:08:44. I was really excited about this effort because I have not felt that good in a marathon in a long time. Being able to push for the last 10 miles was really good. One thing that helped was we got to run the last 6 miles with the back end of the half marathon (it started an hour later and ran out and back going north) so we could pass people. All in all this was a great race. The miles seemed in the right place, the course was half dirt, I got a 30 minute massage at the finish as well as pizza and beer (always love that). The only bad thing that happened to me was that the port- a-johns at mile 7 and mile 11 were still locked so I could use them!
Moab Marathon	3/3/2007	2006 Race - The Moab Marathon runs from Dead Horse State Park at an elevation on 5950 feet and finishes outside Moab at an elevation of 4400 feet. This sounds like it should be a fast marathon. However, the first 8 miles climb to 6200 feet and there is a 8% grade downhill from miles 18-20 that tear your quads to pieces. However, the course is beautiful! There are great views of the La Sal Mountians the entire trip. I went into the race planning to run with my dad, but chose to run on my own. I had been having some issues with a new onset of asthma, so I was out of shape. Needless to say, I took it easy and had no problems with my breathing! But, my quads didn't like the downhill from 18-20 and miles 22 to the end were very painful. All in all, this was a very good marathon and I would recomened it to anyone who is a good downhill runner looking for beautiful race.
Maui Marathon	3/3/2007	2005 Race - The Maui Marathon is probably one of the most beautiful marathons I have ever done! That being said, the race was not that great for me. It started at 5:30 AM on the north side of the island. In order to get there for the start, we had to be up at 3:00 to catch a bus. I hate marathons that start that early! However, this was a necessity. When I walked outside at 3:30 AM and felt the heat and humidty, I knew then and there I was in trouble. The first 8 miles or so are run across the valley between the two mountains. The rest is run along the ocean. It is not a flat marathon as the first 7 miles are uphill and then there are some rolling hills through the halfway point. By the time I reached this point, I was feeling lousy. I planned on runnign about 3:30 becasue I knew that my legs were still tired form running Pikes Peak. However, my hamstring also started to flare up and forced me to walk a lot of the second half. If you like the ocean and heat, this race is for you. If you don't, stay away. It is very well organized and the volunteers are outstanding. There were also 800 runners from Japan which gave the race an international flavor!
Pikes Peak Marathon	3/3/2007	2005 Race - This was the 50th year of the PP Marathon and even though I said I would never do it, I decided to do it anyway, just to say I had. I would have to say this is the hardest marathon I have ever done. You start in Manitou Springs at an elevation of 6400' and run straight up PP to 14100' (you don't go quite to the summit) before turning and coming back down. I thought it would be easier than the Leadville Trail Marathon because you got all of the climbing over with first. Unfortunately, the climbing is not the hard part. I felt fine going up the mountain and actually was only 7 minutes shy of where I wanted to be (there was snow and ice and a lot of water and mud in the top 2 miles, so that slowed me down). It is the downhill that really did me in. I fell above timberline and that made me a bit timid. Also, the fact that you are trying to avoid all of the people still coming up makes it really difficult. They are supposed to get out of the way, but I think I ran into 15 or so people and I about knocked a woman completely off the mountain! I think all of the breaking I was doing to prevent falling again and avoiding people is what did me in. Also, the top 2 miles on the way down were really treacherous from the previous days storm that left 6' of hail on the summit. By the time I got to Barr Camp (half way), my quads were shot. I had to do a lot of walking on the downhill after Barr Camp because I didn't think my legs would hold me up! I was afraid that if I ran and strided out a bit, my quads would give out and I would fall. The last mile was the worst (it is the steepest and it is paved), but I forced myself to run it, even with baby strides! All in all I am happy that I finished. I am also proud that I gave it everything I had and the mountain won! Sometimes that is just the way it goes. Look at Matt Carpenter last year at Leadville and then this year (can you believe it - 15:42! That is amazing!). Maybe if I do it again (which I won't) I will do a lot more downhill training.
Leadville Trail Marathon	3/3/2007	2005 Race - Leadville is a funny place. Well, maybe that is just the way it seems. At 10,200' above sea level, the thin air makes everything seem giddy. This town was once one of the richest towns in America thanks to the boom in the mining industry. When that dried up, most of the people left. However, some people stayed around and tried to continue living. But, the town was slowly dying away and something needed to be done to draw people back to the highest incorporated town in America. Thus the Leadville Trail 100 was born. Sprouting from that seed are 2 other running races (a marathon and 10K), two bike races (a 50M and a 100M) and a weekend trail running camp. Most of the country knows about the Leadville Trail 100, but not too many know about the other events. So, I decided to tackle the Leadville Trail Marathon for a small taste of what Leadville has to offer. The only description of the course given on the website is as follows: "26.2 miles of breathtaking, Leadville Rocky Mountain trails, summiting notorious 13,188 ft. Mosquito Pass. Seven well-supplied aid stations." That leaves much to the imagination. I expected to run a gradual climb up Mosquito Pass (about 3000' gain) and then an easy return home. This, however was not the case. With over 6000' of climbing and descending, all at above 10,000', this race is not to be taken lightly. However, if you want to run in some of the most spectacular scenery around and don't care how long it takes to finish, then this is your race. The course is 90% jeep mining roads (which can be rocky and very steep) and 10% single track. The volunteers at the aid stations are tremendous. And, these are not your typical aid stations. Remember, this is the crew of the Leadville 100, so expect some good grub at the aid stations. All in all, this was one of the most enjoyable marathons I have ever run (at 4:42, I had a long time to enjoy it). And that is not the thin air talking either!
Shiprock Marathon	3/3/2007	2005 Race - This marathon is run in the Four Corners region of New Mexico, right in the heart of the Navajo Nation. The course profile on the internet makes it look like the course is all downhill, but it is not. There are a lot of long uphills along the route. They are not steep, but they last for two miles. I didn't have a very good day, so the fact that I could see for five miles did not help. That being said, the support for the race was awesome! They had about 200 volunteers at 12 aid stations and the finish line. The first 20 miles were run on a closed road, so the only traffic was from the volunteers. The awards were hand made pottery and plates.
Austin Marathon	3/3/2007	2005 Race - I really didn't expect this event to be as good as it was. I thought Austin was flat, but for some strange reason, the marathon is downhill! There are a lot of people in the begining because the half marathon starts with the marathon and runs the first half of the course. After the half marathoners cut off, the course gets a bit harder with some rolling hills. I seemed to do even better on this section as I ran the second half faster then the first.I will have to warn you, close you ears and eyes at 20 miles. There is a bridge over the river at this point that would take you straight to the finish and if you are feeling bad, this is the place to drop out. The post race party was really good with live music and free food (a lot of begals) and beer. RunTex running store is right at the finsih line also, so you can shop while you wait for others to finish. This is a very good marathon if you are looking for a fast race in the winter and don't want to go to Vegas or Arizona.
Mesa Falls Marathon	3/3/2007	2004 Race - What a beautiful small marathon. With only 100 or so in the marathon, be ready to run alone. The first 20 miles is mostly downhill with great views of the Grand Tetons. The first 7 miles is on dirt roads and miles 13-15 or on a trail, so this is very forgiving to your legs if you are not used to running downhill. The pre-race dinner is small, but the food is good. There is not a lot at the post race event excet for the awards. There is not a whole lot in Ashton, so don't plan on doing anything there. After the race, drive back to Jackson, WY and stay a few days.