Last night heading up on our night hike I noticed a race crew setting up on the trailhead and remembered that President's weekend is always the Lost Dutchman Marathon. So when we got back I caught some sleep and headed up to the bus pick up to beg an entry. The race director was more than willing, a ton of marathoners had changed to the half because of the high temp forecast. He also said he had flown in a few Kenyans to break the record and drop the Leaderboard times a little. LDM has a rep as being a way friendly group but a slow course. Eight miles of trail, rolling hills along Apache Junction, and some suburb running with a 180 around a cone. I had no goals for the race although a few weeks ago I did a Yasso 800 predictor set which came out indicating I could do a 2:47. So that's what I shot for. The pace went out slow, I didn't have a Garmin on today but it felt good. The lead guys started picking it and left me. They were gone. I then ran with a group of trail runners from Boston and North Carolina. Pretty neat guys heading up after the race for a R2R2R Tuesday. I could feel the heat a bit by five miles, not a good sign, and prepared for a long morning. By thirteen miles the pack fell apart and I ran with one of the ultra runners from New England until mile 18. We were totally alone and talked mostly the whole time about all the Canyon running stuff that I've been thinking about the past two weeks. The hills hit hard though at mile 19 and he pulled ahead. I was worried a lot about bonking with the heat and that I had no marathon training essentially, and was slowing way down to work the hills and pouring water on my head. I was regaining some energy though by the end and am so happy to have a decent race again in the pathetic shape I'm in! Mokono Lamech was the Kenyan who won, now a US citizen with Phoenix as a home. He was the winner of Grandmas Marathon 2012 in 2:13 and Victoria in 2:12. He barely got the record running a 2:18. Just a way nice guy and I spent a few hours talking to him, and the two ultra runners that sandwiched me, Eric Ahorn and Robert Shaffer. Mocono's main goal this year is the course record at Grandmas, so I look forward to watching that race again. The record is 2:09. Stoked by this run. In the groove and on pace. Good idea where I stand and how to improve. Not a squeak at all from the knee which I attribute to strengthened hips, glutes and core from snowshoeing. And it is cool to get a third with a slow 2:50. :-) The kids and I then spent the afternoon kayaking the Salt River, Tonto National Park. | 