Bad As Boise: Marathon 2 Marathon Race Report
I figured I might have been a little bit more ready for today's marathon, but it appears as if maybe I wasn't. I did NOT, however, post another DNF.
Oh, don't get it into your head that I was strong and never thought about it. I did think about it, but I didn't. I really would have been disappointed in myself in having to tell Waverly another time that I DNF'd.
I also know that this will sound really odd, but the Leadville Heavy Half (15.4 miles, start at 10,200 and go to 13,2-something and change) last July 7 - three days after another half marathon at 6,000 feet above sea level, a drive to Yellowstone, being in the Park all day and then driving back to Denver, was easier than today's marathon.
One website says that Alpine is the fourth highest city in Texas at 4,480 feet while Marathon is 8th at 4,045 feet. They must have measured this at the top of the hill behind Sul Ross State because I recall one downhill right at the 13-mile mark and then again at mile 20. And while this course, 26.2 miles of roads between the two was remote, there were some pretty nice views.
So, I'm avoiding the painful (well, the blister underneath is painful too) but my finish time was 6:07:30. My fellow Seven Hills Running Club member Hans Jaegar finished third in his age group in 5:25:35. He described the course as a "bitch" and Adrienne, yes, he had a beer when they offered it to him at mile 24. I don't think they were Hashers, but they were at the same mile marker that they are at the Chevron Houston Marathon.
Hans said he always like going to races with people that he knows that are slower than him! He and his wife, Linda, are wonderful people. Linda stayed back three different times in the first half of the race to make sure that I was OK. She also came to check on me once in the back half, but I found out later that Hans just wanted to know if I was close so he could start walking. He started at 17. I started earlier.
The thing on this marathon is that my body took a beating and I just revolted and said to myself, "Not today." I really don't enjoy walking these things, especially after running all but one mile of Oklahoma City in April. But I don't do events as to whether the course is tough or not. I do them based on 1.) can I get there?, 2.) can I get there as inexpensive as possible?, and 3.) does it not interfere too much with my family and work commitments.
My friends from the Tornados Running Club did well today in the half marathon. Vaughn Gibbs and Jen Brown won their respective divisions in 1:15:33 and 1:26:17. The half marathon course is probably just slightly easier, but not by much, than Huntsville, which means that Adrienne needs to have Jen on her target list for an invited runner spot in the 25K or 30K. Jen probably won't 3oK if they - the Tornados - do another winter marathon as a group.
That's all for the moment from Fort Stockton at 4:03 p.m. On to Odessa and the hotel!
Oh, don't get it into your head that I was strong and never thought about it. I did think about it, but I didn't. I really would have been disappointed in myself in having to tell Waverly another time that I DNF'd.
I also know that this will sound really odd, but the Leadville Heavy Half (15.4 miles, start at 10,200 and go to 13,2-something and change) last July 7 - three days after another half marathon at 6,000 feet above sea level, a drive to Yellowstone, being in the Park all day and then driving back to Denver, was easier than today's marathon.
One website says that Alpine is the fourth highest city in Texas at 4,480 feet while Marathon is 8th at 4,045 feet. They must have measured this at the top of the hill behind Sul Ross State because I recall one downhill right at the 13-mile mark and then again at mile 20. And while this course, 26.2 miles of roads between the two was remote, there were some pretty nice views.
So, I'm avoiding the painful (well, the blister underneath is painful too) but my finish time was 6:07:30. My fellow Seven Hills Running Club member Hans Jaegar finished third in his age group in 5:25:35. He described the course as a "bitch" and Adrienne, yes, he had a beer when they offered it to him at mile 24. I don't think they were Hashers, but they were at the same mile marker that they are at the Chevron Houston Marathon.
Hans said he always like going to races with people that he knows that are slower than him! He and his wife, Linda, are wonderful people. Linda stayed back three different times in the first half of the race to make sure that I was OK. She also came to check on me once in the back half, but I found out later that Hans just wanted to know if I was close so he could start walking. He started at 17. I started earlier.
The thing on this marathon is that my body took a beating and I just revolted and said to myself, "Not today." I really don't enjoy walking these things, especially after running all but one mile of Oklahoma City in April. But I don't do events as to whether the course is tough or not. I do them based on 1.) can I get there?, 2.) can I get there as inexpensive as possible?, and 3.) does it not interfere too much with my family and work commitments.
My friends from the Tornados Running Club did well today in the half marathon. Vaughn Gibbs and Jen Brown won their respective divisions in 1:15:33 and 1:26:17. The half marathon course is probably just slightly easier, but not by much, than Huntsville, which means that Adrienne needs to have Jen on her target list for an invited runner spot in the 25K or 30K. Jen probably won't 3oK if they - the Tornados - do another winter marathon as a group.
That's all for the moment from Fort Stockton at 4:03 p.m. On to Odessa and the hotel!
posted by WalkSports.com | 1:33 PM
1 Comments:
Thanks for the tip. Congrats on the finish! That race looks pretty unique!
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