Woke up bright and early at 6 AM to get ready for the race. Ate a banana and a slice of bread along with drinking some of my Revive/Emergen-C mix. Drove down to the start with a half hour before the race. The race was very small--only about 100 runners give or take, and it didn't look like I would have too much competition other than Steve Hooper and a couple of the other SGRC guys. The course was an out-and-back, going through the Hurricane Fields, making a large swing around Sand Hollow Reservoir, with a short section through a golf course community and then back the same way. The gun went off, and away we went. I wasn't sure how fit I was so I took off pretty easy, but still quickly built a little gap on Steve within the first mile. I could still hear them talking behind me, but I didn't think they were racing that hard so I just settled into a nice relaxed tempo for the long haul. My family was able to watch this race in its entirety, which was nice, and they were at many spots along the course. I did the same thing this race as TOU last year...only worrying about 5-mile splits. My goal going into the race was 2:45. The first 3 miles were expectedly slow, but I must have picked it up quite a bit because I was right on for my 5-mile split. Up until this point, the course was almost all completely flat through the Hurricane Fields with only one small hill, but shortly after the 5-mile mark the course climbs a long ridge before it drops steeply into the Sand Hollow basin. This is one of the most beautiful portions of the course, and although the grade was mildly difficult I enjoyed this part. These were my old stomping grounds through my stint in high school XC and track. I lost some time on this section, but gained it all back and then some dropping into Sand Hollow down the hill that apparently has been named "Nemesis." I must have been going faster than I thought, because I came across the 10 mile mark 3 minutes faster than my goal pace. I was pleased at this, though, knowing the road back would be more difficult. I was glad to have a little cushion. The next 5 miles were more difficult, with rolling hills and several turns to take away momentum. But I came across the half about 2 minutes ahead of pace at 1:19 and some change. I forgot to look at my split for 15 miles, but I expect it was similarly ahead of pace. After this point, I settled in for the most difficult section of the course: climbing back up out of Sand Hollow. I was already beginning to feel the fatigue, but I was able to work through it and lay down some good solid miles before arriving at the base of Nemesis at mile 18. This hill was a beast. It climbs about 250 feet in just 0.7 miles. Nothing compared to some of the stuff you face at races like Logan Peak, but at road-marathon pace and at mile 18 it presents a significant challenge. After climbing hard for 100 meters or so, I decided the best plan of attack was just to last through it, going as slow as necessary, and worry about going fast again once I got to the top. This worked nicely, and I was able to get a good tempo going again once the course turned downhill again. The long downhill was very welcome and I was able to really put the hammer down on these miles. I came across the 20 mile mark with a nice 4 minute cushion. Immediately after the 20 mile mark, the course makes a final descent with the rest being level with only one short up-and-down hill at Angel Heights. I wanted to just get through this section as fast as possible and get as far as possible before my tired legs gave out. I kept waiting for that moment to happen, but other than a couple of lapses it never really came. I was tired, but still had plenty of energy and spring in my legs to maintain a competitive pace. There started to be some people cheering me on during the last mile and I really pounded it hard to the finish. Finished in 2:41:22 in first place. My first marathon win! The field was small, and not all that competitive, but I was very happy with that time and the win. I expected to struggle to clear 2:45 on this challenging of a course, so I was very happy to get a time that was only 3 minutes and some change off a PR. The race was very well run for an inaugural running with only a few minor glitches. The race director came up to me after the finish and asked how I liked it and if I had any suggestions. I told him a couple of small things, but overall I was very impressed with how smoothly it was run. The only big problem was the weather, which was very rainy for most of the runners--but of course that was outside of his control. The weather was actually very nice for 24 miles of the race. A tad chilly, but overcast and really not that bad. Overall it was a very enjoyable race, and it was also a nice excuse to come down and enjoy the warmer weather and time with family.
| 