Recap of the 37th annual One America 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis, IN

One America 500 Festival Mini Marathon 
May 5, 2012
www.500festival.com/marathon/

My Run:  Overall, the One America 500 Festival Mini-Marathon (“the Mini”) in Indianapolis was my 12th half marathon. This was the fourth year in a row that I have run the Mini, which is the largest half marathon and fifth largest road race in the U.S. with 35,000 runners.  The Mini is part of the month-long 500 Festival that leads up to the Indianapolis 500.

I traveled to Indianapolis with my wife Olivia and my good friend Paxton. Olivia and Paxton had both run the Mini with me in 2011 and Paxton set his current half marathon PR.  Paxton and I started the race together in the seeded corral B. 

For this year’s race I had two goals. The first goal was to finish in the top 500 and receive the special “500 Club” medal in addition to the regular finisher’s medal. The time required to fall within the top 500 varies from year to year, but is usually between 1:27 and 1:33 depending on the conditions. My second goal was to break 1:28 as a finish time.  My PR is 1:29:52, which was at the very hilly Oak Barrel Half Marathon in April 2012. I felt pretty confident that in ideal weather conditions I could hold a 6:42 pace throughout the very flat Mini course based on how my training has been going over the past 8 to 10 months.

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Recap the 13th annual St Jude Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN…

Country Music Marathon
April 28, 2012
nashville.competitor.com

My Run:  Overall, the Country Music Marathon (CMM) was my 12th full marathon, but this one was quite a bit different than any of my previous 11. For this race I had applied for and was accepted to be the official 4-hour pace team leader for the race. This was something I have wanted to do ever since my first marathon which I completed with the help of a pace team (Chicago 2009).

With a marathon PR of 3:12:28 back in March (NOLA), I had quite a bit of uncertainty about what running a 4-hour marathon at the CMM would be like. Part of me hoped it would be like a long, slow, training run and that maybe I would be able to enjoy a marathon for a change. Another part of me wondered how well I was going to deal with being on my feet for almost 4-hours in the aerobic heart-rate zone when I had never done a run this long before (by time). 

All week, the forecast called for very warm conditions with lows near 70 and highs in the mid-80s. With the timing of this race it seems like we always have either storms or hot  conditions. These warm conditions along with coming down with a head-cold on Friday just added to my uncertainty concerning the race.

My pacing strategy was to maintain a consistent effort throughout the race instead of trying to stay locked in to one specific pace regardless of terrain. The CMM course is very hilly, especially in first 8 miles, and I knew that if I didn’t slow down going up the hills I would begin losing people early in the race. My overall goal was to finish the race between 3:59:00 and 3:59:59 so that anyone running with me who had a goal to break 4-hours would not be disappointed.

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My thoughts on the 3rd annual Oak Barrel Half Marathon in Lynchburg, TN

Oak Barrel Half Marathon 
April 7, 2012
www.oakbarrelhalf.com

My Run:  Overall, the Oak Barrel Half Marathon in Lynchburg was my 11th half marathon. This race was capped at 1050 entries, and this was my second consecutive year to participate in the event.

Even though I had a specific goal going in, I really didn’t treat this like a goal race. I did drop my total mileage by about 10-miles for the week of the race, but otherwise just trained right through the event. My goal was to “officially” break 1:30 for the first time. At the Murfreesboro “Middle” Half Marathon last October the course ended up being long by 4/10 of a mile due to a mis-routing in the early miles. My “unofficial” re-calculated time for that event was 1:29:49, but it never felt like I had truly broken 1:30, since this result was from a recalculation.

Anyway, the Oak Barrel course is much tougher than the Middle Half, but I also felt like I was in better shape than I was last October. This is especially true considering that the Middle Half was six days after the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and my recent PR performance at the Rock n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon (3:12:28) a few weeks ago.

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My thoughts on the 2012 Rock n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon…

Rock n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon
March 4, 2012
runrocknroll.competitor.com/new-orleans

My Run:  

Overall, the Rock n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon (NOLA) was my 11th full marathon, and first since setting my current PR of 3:18:44 at the Rocket City Marathon last December. For NOLA I had been very public about my goal of breaking 3:15 for the first time (i.e. my “Quest for 3:15”).” My training leading up to the race had been fantastic, having only missed 4 scheduled runs due to two stomach bugs and a flare-up of my Small Fiber Sensory Neuropathy in January.

The weather for NOLA was just about as good as anybody could have hoped. The temperatures were right around 50 degrees at the start, with low humidity, clear skies, and a light breeze. By the end of the race the temps were just over 60 degrees. Can’t ask for much better than that in New Orleans in March.

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No full-blown race recap / review since this was more of a tempo run than a race for me, but did want to give a brief update.

Big NOLA confidence boost today!

As I said in my post last night, this race was a NOLA tune-up. I was not going to race at full half-marathon speed, but shooting for an average pace of 7:16 (Just under goal marathon pace). The weather conditions were tough with 25+ mph wind gusts and a “feels-like” temp of less than 15 degrees at race start.

I knew the course was going to be hilly, but it was actually a little more challenging than I expected. There was a nasty hill right at start, and at least some elevation gain in every mile with several long inclines throughout the course. I was a little worried about the three-mile gravel segment, but this turned out to be a great surface. The ruts in the road were more like packed dirt than gravel which felt fantastic. It was a bit of a shock moving back to asphalt.

I felt great during my warmup, though it was tough to keep my toes from going numb. Even though I knew 7:16 was my goal today, I really just wanted to run at a pace that was within myself and felt comfortable. After finishing the first mile in 7:14, I ended up settling in around 7:05 pace. I felt strong up most of the hills, and smooth on the flats and downhills. I generally resisted the temptation to go crazy on the downhills.

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My thoughts on the 35th annual Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL

Rocket City Marathon
December 10, 2011
www.runrocketcity.com

My Run:  Overall, the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville was my tenth full marathon completed. I decided to run this race for three reasons: (1) The close proximity to Nashville (2) We have very dear friends that live in Huntsville (3) Recommendations from running friends who spoke very highly of the organization and the small field.

I have been very public about my “Quest for 3:15” this year, but my expectations coming into Rocket City were somewhat muted due to an inconsistent training schedule since completing the Bank of American Chicago Marathon in early October.

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My thoughts on the 2nd annual Ragnar Relay Tennessee

November 4-5, 2011
Chattanooga to Nashville
www.ragnarrelay.com/race/tennessee

The Experience:

This was undoubtedly one of the most difficult yet AWESOME things I’ve ever done. I had never participated in anything remotely like this before, and had an absolute blast going through this experience with my teammates. The Ragnar Relay Tennessee is a 196.1-mile relay from Chattanooga to Nashville. A standard team was comprised of 12 runners, with each runner completing 3 legs of 2 to 9 miles each. The first 6 runners were in Van #1 and the last 6 in Van #2.

Meagan leading Team Isabel to the finish line…

Our team was named “Team Isabel” after the daughter of one of the members of our running group who has leukemia. Team Isabel was classified as a “mixed” team because we had 6 women and 6 men. Van #1 started in Chattanooga at 2pm (EDT) on Friday and we finished in downtown Nashville at 1:19pm (CDT) on Saturday for a finish time of 24 hours 19 minutes 43 seconds. At the end of the final leg (#36), the 11 of us cheering on Meagan joined her for the last 200 meters so that we could cross the finish line as a team. Our finish time was good enough for 4th overall out of 223 teams, and was 2nd in the “mixed” division. Our team absolutely KILLED IT!

Team Isabel after a successful race….

I was in Van #2, which left Nashville at 1pm (CDT). From the time I woke up on Friday morning until I arrived back home on Saturday afternoon at 3pm, I slept for approximately 30 minutes and raced 18.5-miles (20+ miles running with warmups). I have never been more tired in my life than I was when I finally got home. Even with this utter exhaustion, I’m so glad that I did it. There is no way I could adequately describe the experience in a post like this, but it was such a remarkable thing to be a part of.


Bob, Kelly, Meagan, Janna, John, and me from Van #2…

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My thoughts on the 34th annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon…

Bank of America Chicago Marathon
October 9, 2011
www.chicagomarathon.com

My Run:  Overall, the 2011 Bank of American Chicago Marathon was my ninth full marathon. Chicago was also the site of my first marathon back in 2009. There was no secret that my goal coming into this race was to break 3:15 for the first time. I had set my current PR of 3:24 at the Rock n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon in November 2011. Just before this I tried to break 3:15 at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in October, and was able to hold that pace for 22-miles before hitting the wall hard and finishing with a 3:25.

Everything in my training program, which started on July 4th, was aimed at this goal. I reduced the amount of time I spent doing cardio-based cross training, and spent that time instead on putting in extra miles on the road or trails. I added trail running and barefoot running to my schedule to improve strength, and was diligent about doing tempo runs and marathon pace workouts around this goal pace. My training throughout the summer went extremely well, and I felt ready to break 3:15.

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My thoughts on the 28th annual Tupelo Marathon and 14.2-Miler in Tupelo, MS

Tupelo Marathon and 14.2 Miler
September 4, 2011
tupelorunningclub.homestead.com/tupelomarathon.html

My Run:  Trample the Weak…Hurdle the Dead!  Overall, the Tupelo 14.2 miler is my 9th half marathon (even if this one was a little more than half a marathon). I decided to participate this year for two reasons: (1) It was highly recommended by a number of friends from my running group who participated last year (2) it seemed like the perfect tune-up to the Chicago Marathon which is in five weeks.

Altogether there were eight of us that traveled to Tupelo, including my wife Olivia, Paxton, Dawn, Susan, John, Edward, and Andy. Olivia was registered for the 14.2 race, but unfortunately was not able to participate due to multiple tibial stress fractures. I know it was hard on her to not be able to do the race, but I’m glad she decided to come with us anyway. All the rest of us were registered for the 14.2, except for John who was doing the full.

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My thoughts on the 36th annual One America 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis, IN

One America 500 Festival Mini Marathon
May 7, 2011
www.500festival.com/marathon/

My Run:  Overall, the One America 500 Festival Mini-Marathon (Mini) in Indianapolis was my eighth half marathon.  This was the third year in a row that I have run the Mini, which is the largest half marathon and fifth largest road race in the U.S. with 35,000 runners.  The Mini is part of the month-long 500 Festival that leads up to the Indianapolis 500.

I traveled to Indianapolis with my wife Olivia, and my good friends Paxton Baker and Nathan Wright.  We also met up with our friend Marti Carrell in Indianapolis on the morning of the race.  Nathan had run the Mini with me in 2010, but it was the first time for Olivia, Paxton and Marti.  Paxton, Nathan, and I all started the race together in corral B.  My goal for the race was to break 1:30 for the first time.  My PR was 1:31:00, which was at the Murfreesboro “Middle” Half in October 2010.  I was hoping that the additional emphasis on speedwork in my training combined with the extremely flat course would make this possible.  Nathan’s stated goal was to “run fast,” while Paxton was shooting for a 1:31.

The weather was almost ideal.  It was an overcast day and temperatures were in the 50s for the entire race.  The only issue at all was the threat of rain and slightly elevated humidity.

Even though the race start is divided into corrals, and we were in corral B, the absence of a wave start, and the narrow opening of the start area results in a very congested first couple of miles (more on this below).  To break 1:30 I would need to average 6:52 minutes per mile, and was only able to complete the first mile in 7:20 due to the congestion.  I stayed with Nathan and Paxton for most of the first mile, but tried to focus on running my own race and separated from them before reaching this first marker.

Over the next few miles, I began to drop my pace below 7:00, and managed a couple at 6:51 (Miles 3 and 4).  Even though I was feeling pretty good overall, 6:51 just did not feel comfortable.  By the 6th mile, I was struggling to hit anything better than 6:58, and knew that 1:30 was going to be a VERY long shot if I did not feel better quickly.

Over the 2.5 miles of the speedway, I tried to pick up the pace since the surface is completely flat and very smooth.  However, I was still not able to crank out either of the miles faster than 6:58.  My second mile on the track (8th mile overall) was actually 7:03.  I still felt ok, just didn’t have the extra gear needed to maintain a 6:52 average.  As I left the track, my 9th mile was 7:02.

For mile 10, I tried one last time to make up some ground on a long straightaway and cranked out a 6:54.  However, I faded slightly over the next two miles with a 7:03 and 7:09 respectively.  As I was running the 11th mile, I began checking over my shoulder looking for Paxton.  Coming into the race I knew that Paxton was capable of running a faster race than me, and felt confident that he would make a big surge at the end.  I never did see him, even through the 12th mile.

For mile 13, I knew that 1:30 was long gone, and that setting a new PR was unrealistic.  With that in mind I stopped looking for Paxton, and just tried to put everything I had left into that last mile.  That mile was 6:38, and it felt like my legs were going to fall off of my body.  During the final mile, the course has markers every 1/4 mile.  With 1/4 left to go, I heard a voice from behind say “hey Tim!”  It was Paxton, and he was powering toward the finish.

For some reason, when Paxton reached me I said “Let’s burn it out!”  We both picked up the pace even more, but that only lasted a few strides for me before I had to drop back.  Paxton surged ahead and was looking strong.  I saw him begin to slow just before the finish line, and I tried one last time to catch up to him, but I had nothing left in my legs.

I finished the race in 1:32:00.  This was exactly one minute slower than my PR last fall, and two minutes short of my goal.  Even though I missed my goal, and a new PR, I was happy with the finish and truly believe that 1:32 was everything that I had for that day.  This time was good enough for 703 overall (out of 30,643 finishers), and over 10 minutes faster than my finish time in the Mini last year.

On a complete side-note, this was the first long-distance race (1/2 marathon or greater) that I completed in a “minimalist” shoe.  In my case it was the Saucony Kinvara, and they were fantastic.  I’ve primarily been using my Kinvara’s for track workouts and shorter races (5k, 10k, etc).  Now I’m seriously considering making these my everyday trainers, and also trying the Saucony Peregrine’s for trail running.

Friends and Family:  I mentioned earlier that Paxton had caught me during the last 1/4 mile of the race.  After the finish, we went back and looked at the split times for both of us.  At the 8 mile mark, Paxton was around 4 minutes behind me.  He cut that to around 1 minute by mile 10, and caught me in the last 1/4 mile.  What an incredible second half of the race!  I was actually very happy for him, and proud of the way he finished the race.  His finish time was 1:31:51, good enough for 687 overall, and almost 5 minutes faster than his previous PR set at the Mercedes Half Marathon in Birmingham earlier this year.

Nathan finished the race shortly after Paxton and I, in 1:34:15.  This was good enough for 904 overall, and was a new PR for Nathan by over two minutes. It was also 10 minutes faster than his finish in the Mini last year.  Not sure if he had a specific goal, but definitely met his goal to “run fast.”

The Bellevue Three Musketeers: Paxton, Nathan & Me

My wife Olivia came into this race with a strain of the connective tissue that holds the calf muscle to the bone.  I was concerned it might be a stress fracture, so suggested that she get it checked out before the race.  Her doctor diagnosed her with the strain last Wednesday, and recommended that she only walk in the race, and not attempt to run.  However, Olivia purchased a compression sleeve for her calf and decided to attempt her normal run/walk ratio and back off if the pain became a problem.  Thankfully, her calf was never a big problem and she was able to finish the race in 2:46:00, just over a minute off of her PR which she set in the Mercedes Half Marathon back in February.

Marti had told me that she was hoping to break two hours for the first time (about 4 minutes faster than her PR).  She said that she knew in the middle of the race that she didn’t have sub two hours in her, but she still finished in 205:35.  This was only 40 seconds or so off of her PR, and was good enough for 37th in her age group (not bad at all with > 30,000 finishers).

From left to right: Marti, Paxton, Nathan, Me & Olivia

This was my third road-trip race to do with a group, and was an absolute blast.  Running trips are so much fun.  The race is great, but the camaraderie of the group surrounding the race is what really makes it a great trip.

The Race:  Overall, I would give that race organizers an “A+” - It is hard to come up with many criticisms of this event.  The organization from the expo to the finish area is impeccable.  The course is flat and very unique (see more below).  All Mini participants received an long-sleeve technical t-shirt, and a technical running hat. The finisher’s medal for 2011 is a really cool design that incorporates an Indy car with elements of the Mini and speedway.  

There were 17 aid stations (“Pit Stops”) on the course (plus multiple stations at the start and finish area). There are signs identifying the aid stations well in advance.  While it is great that there is plenty of fluid, the number of stations is a little bit overwhelming, and causes frequent course congestion.  The reason for the high number is that each station has either water or Gatorade, but not both.  Seems like an easy way to ease some of the congestion would be to combine these stations.  I am always happy to see Gatorade as it is my favorite sports drink, and like most big races, the water and Gatorade were in different cups, making it easy to distinguish.

The mile markers were elevated, making them easy to see, and all included split times. The finish area is the best I’ve ever seen with regard to congestion.  There is plenty of room to keep moving, and the volunteers immediately give you a bottle of water after finishing.  After receiving your medal, all finishers are given a plastic grocery bag for all of the post-race food (great touch).  They had bananas, fruit cups, cookies, chocolate milk and Gatorade.  Also the post race picture area is well laid out, and does not cause undue congestion.  The bag check location was clearly marked at the race start and finish and there are LOTS of port-a-potties.  The post-race party is located in a park just outside the finish area.  While there is lots of food at the party, it all costs money, even for finishers.  Would be nice to see a few more substantial food options for the runners that are included with the race.

Another couple of nice features include the Chronotrack B-tag timing system that is buil-into the race bib.  This means runners don’t need to do anything but wear their bib in order to be timed.  Also, all of the bibs include the runner’s first name, which ultimately leads to the crowd cheering for you by calling out your name.
The race does not feature pace teams, however this is not as big of a deal in a half marathon vs. a full.  Some might be critical of the lack of a wave start given that there are 35,000 runners.  There are definitely pros and cons to a wave start.  The big pro is that it eases congestion at the start.  The big con is that it leaves some corrals up to 40 or 50 minutes behind gun time.  For one I don’t mind large races that have some congestion at the start.

The Course:  The course starts in downtown Indy, and includes a lap around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway before returning to downtown Indy for the finish.  While there are some mundane portions of the course between downtown and the speedway, there is LOTS of on-course entertainment including bands, DJs, cheer squads, etc.  The lap around the Speedway is fantastic.  I’m not a big car racing fan, but this is a really cool experience. The asphalt is perfect, and it is exciting to run across the yard of bricks at the start/finish line.

The course is FLAT.  There is one very minor incline during mile 2, and then a short, sharp ramp-like incline into the infield of the speedway.  Other than that…Pancake flat.  Crowd support is pretty light, except for the final mile where there are lots of spectators, and even stands at the finish.

The final stretch across the river, and back into downtown is really exciting, and gives you that added boost you need for the finish.

All-in-all this is one of the great road-races, and one that should be on your bucket list if you’ve never participated in it.  Other race directors could learn a lot from the Mini, and it’s incredible organization.

Pros:
    •    Long-sleeve technical shirt
    •    Technical running hat
    •    Includes lap around Indianapolis Motor Speedway
    •    Water and Gatorade throughout the course, and in distinct cups
    •    Large signs to identify aid stations
    •    Great volunteer support and communication
    •    Nice finisher’s medal
    •    Well designed finish area / plenty of room to keep moving
    •    Lots of on-course entertainment
    •    Incredible organization
    •    B-tag timing system (built into bib)
    •    Names on racing bib
    •    Good fan support on the at the finish.
    •    Elevated mile markers with split times.

Cons:
    •    Poor crowd support until the finish
    •    No pace teams
    •    Too many aid stations causes undue congestion
    •    Each aid station is either water or Gatorade, but not both
    •    Limited post-race food options for finishers.

My thoughts on the 2nd annual Oak Barrel Half Marathon in Lynchburg, TN

Oak Barrel Half Marathon
April 2, 2011
www.oakbarrelhalf.com

My Run:  Overall, the Oak Barrel Half Marathon in Lynchburg was my seventh half marathon. This race was capped at 1000 entries, and there were just under 900 that made it to the finish line.

I went into this race with a lot of uncertainty about how hard I could push myself.  During the fall and winter, I ran four marathons and one half marathon in a five month span. At the Murfreesboro “Middle Half” marathon in October, I set a new PR of 1:31 (6:57 pace).  After completing the Mercedes Marathon in February, my body was pretty trashed and I decided to re-evaluate my training plan and race schedule.  This included a re-commitment to P90X/Insanity, and not scheduling another marathon until October.

In Mid-March, I began feeling like my old self again in track workouts and long weekend runs.  However, during the last full week of March, I went on a mission trip to southern Honduras, and was only able to run 10 miles while gone.  Also, we were only supposed to be there for 8 days, and ended up staying for 11 due to travel difficulties.  Because of this I was only able to run 18-total miles during the two weeks leading up to the Oak Barrel Half.  On top of this, I came down with a cold the day before the race.

With all of this in mind, I decided to start the race off pretty conservatively, and then take the rest based on how I felt.  I traveled to the race with my friend and track coach, John Thorpe.  John had completed the Oak Barrel in 2010, and was able to give me some pointers on dealing with the course.

I knew that the course was famous for a very difficult incline during mile five called “Whiskey Hill.”  John said that I should plan on losing one to two minutes off my pace during that mile, and then I should take another quarter for recovery after cresting the hill.  He said that if I pushed any harder, I risked running out of gas for the rest of the race.

Weather conditions were absolutely perfect, with temps in the low 40s at the start and around 60 at the finish. I started off the race at just over 7:00 per mile pace, and ran the first 4 miles at a 7:11 average pace.  As I began the initial part of “Whiskey Hill” at the start of mile 5, my pace slowed to 7:30.  However, during the second half of mile 5, “Whiskey Hill” presented an exponentially greater challenge as it is one of the steepest grades I have ever tried to run.  Many of the runners around me began to walk, but I was determined to keep pushing through, even though I felt like I was running in place.  I was confident that my total time for mile 5 would be between 9 and 10 minutes.

With that in mind, I was quite pleased that I completed my 5th mile in 8:35.  However, just as John had told me, I was spent!  I continued to run at a reduced pace for the next quarter mile before attempting to pick up the pace again.  Even though my legs were feeling better, I was still not able to push my pace back up to where I was before “Whiskey Hill.” My average pace for miles 6 through 8 was 7:20, and my overall average after mile 8 was 7:25.

As I crossed the 8 mile marker, I started to get mad, because I knew that I had more in me than I was giving out to that point. I also knew there were some downhill sections coming up, so I decided I was going to pick up the pace and attempt to run a sub 7:00 minute mile.  I finished mile 9 in 6:53, and felt really good.

Other than 2 runners about 100 yards ahead of me, I was essentially running by myself.  As I crossed the 12 mile marker, I tried to kick it up another notch and catch the 2 runners ahead of me.  To their credit, they also picked up their pace, and I was unable to match them.

Regardless, my average pace for the final 5 miles was 6:55, and I crossed the finish line in 1:34:46. While this was 3:46 off of my PR, I was still extremely pleased due to my lack of prep during the prior two weeks and the difficulty of the course.  This time was good enough for 24th overall and 4th in my age division.

I mentioned earlier that I traveled down to Lynchburg with John Thorpe. Well, John finished the race in 1:20:00, which was 2nd place overall. This is a 6:07 average pace, and he did the last 6 miles at a sub 6 minute pace! Very impressive, and I’m very happy for him.

The Race:  Being that this is a smaller, locally organized race, you know that some of the “big race” features and amenities will not be present (e.g. pace teams, elevated mile markers, visible split times, big expo, etc.).  With that in mind, it is hard to come up with many criticisms of this event. The organization and execution is impeccable.

There were 6 aid stations on the course. 5 of these had both water and Gatorade. The volunteers at the aid stations were fantastic about calling out exactly what they were holding.

At the finish, there is plenty of room to keep moving. After receiving your medal, all finishers had access to a post-race food including pizza, bananas, oranges, cookies, bottled water, and Gatorade.

Another couple of nice features include disposable timing system that is built-in to the bib.  Also, all of the bibs include the runner’s first name, which ultimately leads to the crowd cheering for you by calling out your name. 

All participants received a New Balance technical, long-sleeved T-Shirt (really nice and gender specific), a running hat, and a nice shoe bag. The finisher’s “medal” is extremely unique as it is made out of the wood from an oak barrel.  There is ample, free parking close to the start line and lots of port-a-potties.

The Course:  The course starts just off the square, and heads in a loop through the country country, over a ridge, and then back into Lynchburg.  It is a beautiful course that is a lot of fun to run, however it is also very challenging.  The first 4 miles contain rolling hills with very few flat areas.  Mile 5 is “Whiskey Hill,” which starts off as a fairly gradual include, and then becomes extremely steep at the end.  After mile 5, the course again begins to roll.

Beginning at mile 9, there are several sharp downhills, some of which put quite a strain on the quads. The final mile turns back onto the main highway toward Lynchburg. The finish is on the square which is pretty cool.

I plan to make this an annual event, as long as I don’t have a marathon conflict.  This is a great race!

My thoughts on the 10th annual Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, AL…

Mercedes Marathon
February 13, 2011
www.mercedesmarathon.com

My Run:  Overall, the Mercedes Marathon was my eighth full marathon, and third in the last 90 days (Rock n’ Roll San Antonio on 11/14, WDW Marathon on 01/09).    Coming into this race, I had been trying to temper my expectations because of my heavy race schedule this winter, and due to missing significant training time from a series of illnesses (influenza, sinusitis, lung inflammation, stomach virus).  I had set my PR of 3:24 at the Rock n’ Roll San Antonio, and then basically ran the WDW Marathon with the flu, and finished in 3:43.  For the Mercedes, I was hoping for just under 3:30, and really didn’t want to push it any harder.

Looking back now, I think that was a reasonable goal, but for some reason when the gun went off I began running way faster than a 3:30 pace.  Something inside of me  took over (probably my ego), and I began thinking about setting another PR.  I honestly knew very little about the course when the race began.  I knew it was a double-loop and that there were some hills between miles six and ten.  From the elevation chart, it looked like the total elevation gain through the hills would only be 100 feet or so, which would not be too significant.  Also, the weather was spot-on perfect.  Sunny and mid 30s at the start, with temps rising near 50 by the finish.  To my suddenly fired up mind, this seemed like a perfect opportunity to set another PR.

However, one really puzzling thing about my sudden shift in mindset was that I never felt comfortable during the race.  Even though I was running strong at the start, I never felt a good steady rhythm.  It felt like I was fighting the course every step of the way.  I had hoped this would subside after the first few miles, but it never changed.

My pace for the first half hovered between 7:35 and 7:37 minutes per mile.  When I reached miles six through ten, the significance of the hills surprised me, but I was able to maintain pace.  I came to the midway point at 1:41, on pace for a 3:22 finish (which would be a PR).  However, at this point in the race there were a number of things that were beginning to turn my mind against me:

1. After splitting off from the half-marathon course during mile 12, I began to feel very isolated.  There were over 7,000 participants on the course before the split, and less than 1,200 after.  This combined with the fact that there was virtually no crowd support completely changed the feel of the course.
   
   
2. The double-loop course felt very daunting after the half-way point.  Not only was I discouraged about having to run the same course again, but I also began thinking about how hard the hills were during miles six through ten, and that now I would be running them again during miles 19 through 23.
   
   
3. My legs were already beginning to betray me.  I definitely underestimated how much of a toll the race schedule and missing time due to illness had taken on my body.

Even with these factors, I was still able to maintain pace through mile 18 before the fatigue in my legs began to take over.  When I reached the hills at mile 19, I knew that I was in trouble.  I did not technically “bonk,” because my heart rate was still in great shape.  However, my legs were completely shredded.  I could either take the pace way down or risk not being able to finish.  For the remainder of the race, my pace fluctuated between 8:30 and 9:30.  I even stopped twice to walk during the more significant hills.  My thoughts of a PR turned back to 3:30, and then 3:35, and finally sub 3:40.

I was able to pick it up slightly during the last mile to come in just under 3:40 at 3:39:46.  This meant that my second half was around 17 minutes slower that the first half.  Right after the finish, I was fairly pleased with the race and simply chalked up the slower time to what I still consider to be the toughest of the 8 marathon courses I’ve run.  However, after a few days to reflect on the race I have begun to feel more and more disappointed.  My disappointment is not really about the finishing time, but more about my failure to follow the strategy and goal I had set out before the race.  The same thing happened to me at the Country Music Marathon last year and my second half time was 21 minutes slower than the first.  There is definitely a lesson to be learned here.

I know it must sound like I had a miserable time, but the great thing about running marathons is that even with everything I’ve mentioned above, I still had fun!  Completing a marathon is still one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve ever felt, even when things don’t go according to plan.  I can’t wait to do my next one.

Friends and Family:  It was great to be able to share the events of the weekend with my wife Olivia and dear friends Nathan Wright and Paxton Baker, all of whom were competing in the half marathon.  For Olivia, this was her sixth half marathon, and third in the last 90 days (Rock n’ Roll San Antonio on 11/14, WDW Half Marathon on 01/08).

Olivia had also missed some time recently due to illness, but was able to set another new PR of 2:44.  That was three minutes faster than her previous PR set in San Antonio.  Nathan and Paxton also set new half marathon PRs by completing the race in 1:36, an incredible time on a difficult course.

We were also joined by our friends Edward Russell and John Thorpe from the Jim Spivey Running Club (JSRC).  Ed completed the half marathon in 1:41.  He passed me during mile 11 of the course, and finished really strong.  John completed the marathon in 3:04, finishing in sixth place within his age group (btw…same age group as me, but I was 26th).

The Race:  Overall, I would give that race organizers a solid “A-” - This race has the potential to be a premier event with just a few minor additions and tweaks. The police and volunteer support was as good as I’ve seen at any race.  Even though I’m not a huge face of the “double-loop” course concept, I’ll have to say that the course is well laid out, and stunningly beautiful in many places. 

All full marathon participants received an long sleeved, gender-specific technical t-shirt (half marathon participants get a short sleeved shirt).  The finisher’s medal has got to be one of the best in any race in the country.  It is a large, silver replica of a Mercedes hood ornament (AWESOME!).  All full and half marathon finishers receive a finisher’s hat.

There were 22 aid stations, and all had water and PowerAde.  The water and PowerAde were both in the same PowerAde cups, and not all aid stations were organized in the same way.  However, the volunteers did a great job of letting the runners know how the stations were organized.  All of the mile-markers were elevated, and had split times.  For some reason, the first mile-marker was missing, and some of the split-time clocks were not functioning.

The starting area was not divided into corrals, and there was significant congestion with runners jammed in near the front of the starting area.  I’m glad that they don’t have a wave start, but it would be nice to see assigned corrals to better space out the runners in the starting area.  The finish was well laid out, and it was a nice touch to announce everyone’s name as the crossed the finish line.  The PA announcer even yelled to me “Hey guy in the red, if you pick it up you can beat 3:40!”  There was water and PowerAde immediately at the finish, along with several types of fruit and snacks.  There was also plenty of room to move around and stretch out.

The post-race party was also very nice, with food catered by Jim-n-Nick’s BBQ.  The bag check location was clearly marked at the race start and finish.  The race had several pace groups, but there were no groups under 3:45 finish times.  The race has very limited crowd support except for a few pockets at the start, Five Points, and at the finish.

The fact that the weekend includes a kid’s race, a half marathon, a marathon relay, and a 5k, makes it a great event for the whole family.

The Course:  The course starts off in downtown Birminham on eighth avenue, and winds it’s way on a southern loop through the Five Points area before making it’s way back downtown.  The downtown area is a mix of flat stretches and rolling hills.  The Five Points area is much more hilly, but is also stunningly beautiful. 

As I’ve mentioned earlier, this is a difficult course.  By my Garmin, there was just under 1,000 feet of elevation gain throughout the course.  The hills during miles six through ten, and 19 through 23 are tough.  At least two of them cover the better portion of a mile, and are followed by very short downhills before reaching the next hill again.

I wish there was a way to design a marathon course for the Mercedes that did not require a double-loop, but it is my understanding that the original design utilized during the first few years of the race was MUCH more difficult than the current iteration, and that the double-loop is the only reasonable way to make it a fair course.  From a race-organizer’s perspective, I can clearly see the advantage of a double-loop course; fewer aid stations, fewer volunteers, fewer road closures, etc.

Pros:
    •    Race options for the whole family
    •    Gender specific, long-sleeve technical T-Shirt for full marathon
    •    Beautiful course
    •    Great police support / traffic control
    •    22 aid stations, all with water and Powerade
    •    Great volunteer support and communication
    •    Awesome finisher’s medal
    •    Finisher’s hat for all finishers
    •    Great post-race party
    •    Elevated mile markers with split times
    •    No wave start
    •    Finish line name announcement

Cons:
    •    Limited pace group options (none under 3:45)
    •    Same cups for water and PowerAde
    •    No starting corrals to each congestion in the starting area
    •    Difficult course (double-loop)
    •    Limited crowd support

My thoughts on the 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon…

Walt Disney World Marathon
January 9, 2011
http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/wdw-marathon/  

My Run:  Overall, the Walt Disney World (WDW) marathon was my seventh full marathon, and my third in the last 14 weeks (Twin Cities Marathon on 10/03 and Rock n’ Roll San Antonio on 11/14). This race was originally planned as the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge, which would also have included the half marathon on Saturday, January 8^th.

Unfortunately, on the Tuesday before the race I came down with flu.  This included a fever of 100 to 102, body aches, chills, exhaustion, etc.  My family and I still traveled to WDW on Friday morning, but as of Saturday morning my temperature was still around 101.  Because of this, I ended up skipping the half marathon, and really did not think the full was going to be an option either.

However, late in the day on Saturday I began to noticeably feel better, and my fever broke.  Even though I knew I would be nowhere near peak condition, I decided to give it a go.  I decided to stick with my same strategy I had originally planned for the Goofy, to run a very smooth race and come in under 3:45 (current PR is 3:24 from San Antonio in November).

On the morning of the race, I did a 5-minute warm-up run followed by 4 x 100m stride outs. During the warm-up, I could tell that my energy level was low, but otherwise felt ok. I did have some sinus congestion and a cough, but neither of these flared up during the race.

I decided to start out the race at 9:00 per mile pace and see how that felt, then drop it down into the mid 8s if things were going well.  Other than a couple of unexpected potty breaks, I was able to maintain a mid 8s pace for most of the first half.  My heart rate remained very low, but I did not push it at all during the first half for fear of having no gas in the second half.

Weather conditions were excellent with race start in the low 40s, and very little wind.  I did get cold waiting for the race, and really did not warm up until after daylight at about the halfway point (race started at 5:30am). 

During the first half of the race, the course winds through Epcot and Magic Kingdom, and then begins to wind it’s way to Animal Kingdom as the second half begins.  After I crossed the halfway point I decided to pick up the pace a little to see what I had in the tank.  I ran miles 14 & 15 just under 8 minute pace, but quickly realized I could not maintain that pace and finish.  My heart rate was fine, but my energy level was pretty low.

I began to really feel fatigued around mile 18 as we were coming out of Animal Kingdom, though I never bonked.  Except for mile 24, I was able to keep my pace well below 9 minute pace, even though my legs didn’t have much gas.  Around mile 20, my left calf started to cramp, and I began to question whether or not I could finish, but got a second wind during mile 21.

The course finishes through Hollywood Studios, the Boardwalk, and finally at Epcot.  While I was completely exhausted, my cardio was still strong, and I finished with my head held high and a time of 3:43:08.  Even though I was not able to complete the Goofy Challenge, I came up with my own challenge of trying to do a marathon one day after getting over the flu.  May want to try to Goofy Challenge in the future, but definitely don’t want to try to flu challenge again :-)

I’m not sure what it says about me that I ran this marathon.  I most definitely would not have tried it had my fever not broken on Saturday.  Even with that, it still probably speaks to how hopelessly addicted I am to running, and specifically running marathons.  Many would probably just say it speaks to how CRAZY I am.  In the week+ following the race, I have been fighting lung inflammation and sinusitis.  Not sure if this is a direct result of the race, or of getting rained on the next day at Universal Studios.  Either way, I’m on the road to recovery, and have not run since the race completed.

Overall this was a pretty un-eventful race.  I wasn’t going for a PR or trying to qualify for Boston.  Unfortunately most of the “news” of the event related to my flu before the race, and my subsequent lung inflammation during the next week. 

By far the most exciting think for me during the weekend was seeing my good friends Anthony and Pamella Tucker finish their first half marathon, and seeing my wife Olivia finish her fifth.

It was also pretty cool to finish the marathon, cleanup and then head to meet Olivia and the Tuckers for a day of park-hopping fun at WDW (albeit with a little limp).

The Race:  Overall, I would give that race organizers a “A” – with the caveat that the Disney event is a MUCH different race that I have ever run in.  The logistics of getting to the starting line are crazy.  The meeting place for the race is the parking lot of Epcot, which is where the bag drop-off area is as well.  Even though I brought a warm-up suit, I had to drop off my bag and suit around 4:30am just to have time to get to the start area and do my warm-up.

The walk from the Epcot parking lot to the actual start line took between 20 and 30 minutes.  The race starts on one of the main thoroughfares through the Disney property just outside of Epcot (one the opposite side from the parking lot).  One thing I will say is that there were PLENTY of port-o-poties at both the bag drop area and the actual starting area.

One thing that I did not see was access to food and refreshments before the race.  My wife had warned me about this from the half marathon, so I took my own water bottle to take my pre-race GUs.  Not a big deal for me, but I know this is something a lot of people count on.

On the course, there were 20+ aid stations, and all had water and PowerAde.  Like most big races, the water and PowerAde were in different cups, making it easy to distinguish.  The volunteers were very vocal and helpful at areas of the course.  The mile markers were elevated, making them easy to see, and all included split times.  PowerAde is not my favorite sports drink, but again this is personal preference.

The finish area was well laid out, with plenty of room to move around.  They had heat blankets and lots of food and drink.  The volunteers are great and enthusiastic. The bag check location was clearly marked at the race start and finish.  

One criticism I have about the organization is the VERY generous minimum pace requirements (16-min per mile).  This seems to create a LOT of congestion on the course, especially in the later corrals, as there are a lot of people who are taking their time, posting with characters, snapping photos, etc.  I have no probably with people who walk a marathon, but the course is way too narrow through the parks to have so many participants that cannot maintain a 15-minute mile pace. 

The corrals are also HUGE.  I’m guessing each one has over 2,000 participants.  While I am generally not a huge fan of a wave start, there is simply no way to avoid that at WDW.  With that being said, the large corrals nullify some of the benefit of the wave start.

All marathon participants received a Champion long-sleeved technical t-shirt.  While the shirt is not a high quality as other races (I’m not a fan of this brand), it is still pretty nice.  The finisher’s medal is ridiculously awesome, as it is a big, running Mickey Mouse.  Packet pickup was a little unusual as you pick up your packet in one building, and then your t-shirt and goody back in another building.  This seemed to take a really long time compared to other big races.

The Course:  The course is a very interesting animal, and I’ll try to break it down into categories.

Layout:  The course is flat and fast.  There are a few inclines, mostly around overpasses, but overall this is a flat course.  The course narrows significantly through the 4 parks, which does not seem to be much of a problem for the first 2 corrals, but can be very problematic for the later corrals that are mostly walkers.

Crowd Support:  Since most areas outside of the parks and resorts are not publically accessible, crowd support is concentrated to those areas.  The crowd support in Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios was overwhelming, but basically non-existent for the rest of the course.  There was a huge crowd at the finish line with large bleachers on both sides of the course.

Interest Level:  Running through all 4 parks is quite a thrill, but the course can get pretty dull on the roads in-between.  Disney has lots of characters, bands, and other entertainment along the way, but the fact remains that you are running through Florida swampland.  The course does allow you to see some areas that the public never sees, but by and large the highlight is the parks.

Pros: 

• Champion, Long-Sleeved Technical T-Shirt for the half & full marathon
• 20+ aid stations, all with water and Powerade (with different cups)
• Great volunteer support and communication
• Great finisher’s medal
• Great food and refreshments after the race
• Great perks like heat blankets
• Overall good organization
• Elevated mile markers with split times
• Running through the WDW parks

Cons:  

• Crazy starting logistics
• Crowd support limited to small pockets
• Narrow course through the parks
• Minimum pace is TOO generous
• No pre-race refreshments

My thoughts on the 3rd annual Rock n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon in San Antonio, TX…

Rock n’ Roll San-Antonio Marathon
November 14, 2010
san-antonio.competitor.com

My Run:  Overall, the Rock n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon (RnRSA) was my sixth full marathon, and my second in the last six weeks (Twin Cities Marathon on 10/03).  At Twin Cities, I was going for a Boston qualifying time of 3:15, but came up short. Even so, I still set a new PR of 3:25. For RnRSA, Boston was no longer a priority since it is already sold out for 2011. Additionally, my expectations were scaled back due to lingering problems with patellar tendinitis in my left knee, and IT band pain in my right hip. Because of this I did not run at all during the 4 days immediately preceding the event, and decided that I would wait until Sunday morning to determine my pace based on how I felt. I knew from the expo that there would not be a pace group for 3:25, but only for 3:20 and 3:30. Based on my injuries, I felt like 3:20 would be very aggressive, and really didn’t want to jeopardize the race just because I like running with pace groups.

On the morning of the race, I did a 5 minute warmup run followed by 6 x 100m stride outs. During the warmup, my right hip felt fine, but my left knee was very sore and stiff. I was worried that this would end up being a big problem for the race, but was determined to give it a go regardless. I decided to start out the race at 3:25 pace (7:51 per mile) and see how that felt. I was not wearing a pace band, so my focus was mostly on just making sure that I did not get too fast, and not so much on any specific goal finish time.

Even though the race time was posted as 7:00am, it did not start until 7:15am. Not sure why it was delayed, but this messed up the timing of my pre-race gels, and my knee started to get stiff while waiting in the coral. I tried to keep stretching, but it was hard to move around. However, the weather was perfect with overcast skies and temperatures in the low 50s at race start and high 50s at the finish. That’s about all you could hope for in San Antonio.

As the race started in downtown San Antonio, I did not feel good at all. My knee was sore, and for some reason my heart rate shot up into the mid 170s during the first two miles. Considering that I was hoping to keep my heart rate in the low 160s during the race, this was somewhat alarming. However, after 2 miles my heart rate settled down to my normal race range. Not sure what was going on during the first two miles. Could have been nerves, or could have been the caffeine in the gels I took before the race.

Also, around mile 3 my knee started feeling better and I was able to drop into a comfortable 7:45ish pace. I really enjoyed running in downtown San Antonio during the first half of the course. The crowd was spread out, but enthusiastic. There were a few rolling hills in the first half, but nothing of any consequence. During mile 6, my right hip started acting up and it quickly became evident that if I ever stopped to walk, my hip would lock up. So, at that point it was all or nothing. The hip was a problem the remainder of the race, but it did not seem to significantly affect my pace or my stride.

I crossed the halfway mark in just over 1:40, on pace for a 3:21 finish. However, the second half of the course was much more challenging than the first for a number of reasons. First, there was nothing to see. Supposedly this long southern route was to take the runners past several Missions. However, most of these were obscured by trees, so the course was pretty desolate. Second, there was virtually no crowd support during the second half. Finally, the second half was fairly hilly. Almost the entire 19th mile was uphill, and there was one, short, steep hill during mile 20 that was just MEAN!

As we hit the hilly part of the course, my pace started to fade slightly, but I was able to keep it around 7:50 to 7:55. I started to focus on trying to set a new PR, which would require something better than 3:25:38. As I climbed that short, steep hill at mile 20, I felt a little cramp twinge in my left hamstring. These little twinges started happening more frequently as the race continued, and spread to my calf during mile 23. By mile 24, I could feel knots in both my hamstring and my calf, and had altered my stride to try and prevent a complete lock.

Even with all of these physical things going on, I never hit the wall during this marathon. My legs were completely shredded, but I still had gas in the tank. This was a big deal for me considering that I bonked in my previous 3 marathons, including Twin Cities after holding 3:15 pace for 21 miles. My pace crept slightly above 8:00 for a couple of the final 6 miles, but I still had a little bit of a PR cushion as I passed the 25 mile marker.

I ran the last mile as hard as my legs would allow, mostly pushing off with just my right foot. I was literally screaming at myself to keep going. By this point the full marathon course had merged back with the half, so I’m sure more than a few people thought I was completely delirious.

Just after the 26 mile marker, the course had a very steep hill to the finish. Marathoners often joke that the final .2 is the hardest part, but in this case it was true. If the hill at mile 20 was mean, then this one was vicious. The crowd was very dense at the finish, so I got a little bit of an energy boost from their cheers. I crossed the finish line in 3:24:13, over one minute faster than my PR from Twin Cities. This was 217 overall in the full out of over 4500 finishers. Considering my pre-race injuries, I am more than pleased with this result.

The Race:  Overall, I would give that race organizers a “B” - except for a couple of significant things, i would give this race an “A.” This race is part of the Rock n’ Roll series run by The Competitor Group, and is impeccably organized considering there are 30,000 participants in the half  & the full.   The first half of the course is extremely well designed and interesting, though the second half is slightly dull and could use some work (see more below).

All full and half marathon participants received an Brooks technical t-shirt (very high quality).  The finisher’s medal is great (like all Rock n’ Roll events).  There were 20+ aid stations, and all had water and Cytomax.  Like most big races, the water and Cytomax were in different cups, making it easy to distinguish.  The mile markers were elevated, making them easy to see, and all included split times.

As we started the race, the course crossed a set of railroad tracks about 3/4 of the way through mile one. About 2 or 3 minutes after crossing the tracks, I heard a loud train whistle and turned around to catch a glimpse of the train barreling towards downtown. Turns out that almost 1,000 runners from corrals 4 and 5 got caught by the train, and lost up to 4 minutes from their race time. While organizers are working on adjusting the times for those runners, this type of thing just can’t happen in a race of this size. The organizers have said that the train came through much later than scheduled, but whatever the reason, this significantly takes away from what otherwise is a stellar race.

Another criticism is the fact that they merge the full and half marathon courses back together around mile 24. The full participants are supposed to stay to the right and the half to the left, howler the barrier is nothing more than cones. Because of this, quite a few half marathon participants were over on the full marathon lane, and most of them were walking. I have absolutely no problem with them walking in the half, but it is a problem for them to be wandering into the full marathon course.

One final criticism is the finish area, which is also a problem for the Rock n’ Roll event they have in Nashville.  For some reason they have the full and half marathon finish at the same place, and then try to squeeze everybody out of a very small opening back into the parking lot, and it gets really congested.

However, they do have heat blankets and lots of food and drink.  The volunteers are great and enthusiastic. The bag check location was clearly marked at the race start and finish.  The pre-race food and refreshments are excellent, and there are LOTS of port-a-potties.

The fact that the weekend includes a kid’s race and a half marathon, makes it a great event for the whole family.  This race was special because my wife did the half marathon.  I am really proud of my wife, because she set a new PR by 8 minutes!!! This was her fourth half marathon, fourth this year, and fourth consecutive to set a new PR.

The Course:  The course is a tale of two halves. The first half of the course has some gently rolling hills and overall is a net decline. It is also very interesting as it winds through downtown several times. My favorite part was passing the Alamo. The crowd there was dense and LOUD. I definitely wouldn’t say that there was a lot of crowd support on the first half, but there were pockets of very enthusiastic fans.

The second half is pretty dull, and includes a long out and back lollipop type loop south of town. As I mentioned earlier, this is supposed to be an opportunity to see several missions in San Antonio, but it seemed like most of them were obscured by trees. Overall, there was not a lot to see.  I’ve already mentioned the hills in the second half, and overall it is a net incline.  Finally, there is virtually no crowd support during the second half until you get to the finish at the Alamodome.  The fans there were dense and very loud.

Overall, the race was a great experience, which was aided greatly by the awesome city of San Antonio, and getting a 3-day mini-vacation with my wife.

Pros:

• Race options for the whole family
• Brooks Technical T-Shirt for the half & full marathon
• Great first half of the course
• 20+ aid stations, all with water and Cytomax (with different cups)
• Great volunteer support and communication
• Great finisher’s medal
• Great food and refreshments before and after the race
• Great perks like ice-water filled sponges and heat blankets
• Overall good organization
• Elevated mile markers with split times
• Great city

Cons:

• The Train!!!
• Congested finish area
• Dull second half of the cours
• Sporadic crowd support
• Unexplained 15 minute delay

My thoughts on the 4th annual Murfreesboro Middle Half Marathon in Murfreesboro, TN

Murfreesboro Middle Half Marathon
October 16, 2010
www.themiddlehalf.com

My Run:  Overall, the Murfreesboro Middle Half Marathon (Middle Half) in Murfreesboro was my sixth half marathon, and my second long-distance race in the last two weeks (Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on 10/03).  This was the second time I have run the Middle Half, which is capped at 2,250 runners.  Actually, the Middle Half in 2008 was my first long distance event ever.

I went into this race with absolutely no goals.  Being two-weeks out from the Twin Cities Marathon, I just wanted to do this one by feel.  On top of that, I also had a stomach virus the previous weekend where I lost 4 pounds from my already low post-marathon weight.  With this in mind, I decided to do a 10 to 15 minute warmup before the race, including some stride-outs, and then see what pace felt comfortable.  On race morning the weather was absolutely perfect and I felt surprisingly good.  I decided that I would start the race around a 7:00 to 7:15 min per mile pace, and then go from there.

There were a number of members from my regular running group who also ran in this race.  Many of these are gearing up for the Marine Corps Marathon in two weeks, and were using this race as a good solid tempo run.  My buddy Paxton even turned this into his final long run before Marine Corp, by adding miles before and after the race.  He ran 20 miles in total.

When I came to the start line, I found Sue Anne from our group, and John our track coach.  I knew that John would be going out way faster than I would, so I asked Sue Anne what her planned pace was.  She said that she wanted to start with 7:00 minute miles, and then take it from there based on how she felt.  Sounded perfect to me, so I decided to run with her for at least the first part of the race.  Since Sue Anne has placed in either the Overall group or Masters group every year she has run the Middle Half, I doubted that I would stay with her for very long, but was happy to have someone running the same pace to start.

As the race started, we were running at just over 7:00 min miles, and the pace felt fast, but very comfortable.  During the fourth mile our overall average was around 7:05 min per mile.  I asked Sue Anne how she felt, and if she was going to kick it up a notch.  She said that she was good, and thought she might just hold this pace throughout the race.  As we finished the fourth and fifth mile, our overall average pace dropped below 7:00 min per mile, and our pace was subtly increasing even faster.

As we came out of the 6-mile aid station, Sue Anne was about 10 meters ahead of me, and she never looked back.  I looked down at my watch, and I was running just under 6:50 min per mile pace, and knew there was no way I could pick it up to catch up with her and maintain that to the finish.  I decided that I would try and hold around a 6:55 min per mile pace for the remainder of the race, and let her go.

Miles 7 and 8 felt really good, and I did not begin to feel significant fatigue until well into mile 9.  Even with the fatigue, I was able to maintain pace until mile 12 by focusing on the runners ahead of me and one by one trying to catch and pass them.  I ran mile 12 at 7:00 flat, and really wanted to finish the last mile strong.  For miles 10, 11, and 12 I had been following behind a gentlemen that I thought was close to my age.  As we entered into the final mile, I thought there might be an outside chance at placing in my age group so I started trying to catch him.  As I passed, I realized that he was much older than me, but it turned out to be good motivation to run the last mile strong.

I did the last mile in 6:44, and still had just enough left in the tank to pass one more person as we entered the MTSU track toward the finish line.  Finish time was 1:31:00 flat….a new PR by over 11 minutes, and over 27 minutes faster than my previous time at the Middle Half.  This was good enough for 48th overall (out of 1,778 finishers) and 7th in my age group.  Even though I didn’t place, I am still extremely pleased with this result.  On a side note, Sue Anne finished in 1:28, placing first Overall Women’s Masters.  She ran the second half of the race at 6:27 min per mile pace.  WOW!  All told, we had 3 people from our group with half-marathon PRs.

The Race:  Being that this is a smaller, locally organized race, you know that some of the “big race” features and amenities will not be present (e.g. pace teams, elevated mile markers, visible split times, big expo, etc.).  With that in mind, it is hard to come up with many criticisms of this event. The organization and execution is impeccable.

The course is relatively flat, with a few long, low grade inclines.  My Garmin said that was 75ft total elevation change throughout the route. The finish is at the MTSU track which is great, and there is a surprising amount of crowd support throughout the course, and especially at the finish.  

There were 8 aid stations on the course, each of which had both water and Allsport sports drink. The volunteers at the aid stations were fantastic about calling out exactly what they were holding, and they had very good technique for handing off the cups.  Every aid station was organized exactly the same way with water in front and Allsport in the back.

At the finish, there is plenty of room to keep moving, and the volunteers immediately give you a bottle of water after finishing and either a wet or dry towel (nice touch!). After receiving your medal, all finishers had access to a post-race food tent with Jim n’ Nicks BBQ, chocolate milk, popsicles, bottled water, bananas, oranges, etc.

Another couple of nice features include the Chronotrack D-tag timing system that is disposable.  Also, all of the bibs include the runner’s first name, which ultimately leads to the crowd cheering for you by calling out your name.  All participants received a Brooks technical, long-sleeved T-Shirt (really nice).  There is ample, free parking close to the start line and lots of port-a-potties.

The Course:  The course starts just outside of the MTSU track, and heads toward downtown Murfreesboro during the first 5 miles.  Really cool to run past Oakland Mansion and around the City square.  After leaving the city square, the course has you running down tree-lined Main Street, and then by MTSU’s Fraternity Row and the official geographic center of the great state of Tennessee.  The finish is on the the track at MTSU.

As I mentioned earlier, the course is relatively flat with some long, low-grade inclines in the second half.  All-in-all it is a fast course, and very conducive to running a fast time.  There are three places in the course with switch-backs which allow you to see a lot of the other runners and feed off of their energy.

I plan to make this an annual event, as long as I don’t have a fall marathon conflict.  This is a great race!